Third Wheel
by Darcy Moore
Summary: Dean and Sam hit the road with their cousin Darcy and learn how to be a family.
1. Dean and Darcy in New Orleans

Motel in New Orleans

**Motel in New Orleans**

"Do we need to go over the plan again?"

"No, I got it. Lay the bait, set the trap."

Dean Winchester sighed as he closed the trunk. He was nervous about working a hunt without his dad. "Good, good," he said, but he was still distracted. Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He started fumbling around for his keys.

"Looking for these?"

Dean looked up and saw his cousin Darcy Moore, holding the keys to the Impala. "Do you want me to drive?" she asked.

"No, you need to practice your hoodoo," he answered. She tossed him the keys and both got into the Impala.

Darcy had been hunting with Dean for four years. She was the daughter of his mother's brother, his uncle Mike, a man that Dean had not met until a few years ago. A demon had attacked Uncle Mike and his family which prompted him to contact John Winchester, Dean's dad. Until that point Uncle Mike had shunned the Winchesters and had possibly blamed John for the death of his sister.

After his encounters with the demon Uncle Mike was convinced to let Darcy learn how to fight demons and the rest of the family went into hiding. Darcy wasn't sure how it had all gone down but she figured it was because she had done a good job helping with the demon that had attacked them. That's what John had told her. Dean knew the real reason but was sworn to secrecy. He had liked having Darcy with them on hunts. It was shortly after Sam left and going back to a three person team was great. Darcy picked up the trade really well and had impressed Dean and John. She was fourteen at the time now she was seventeen with over three years of hunting under her belt.

Dean glanced over at Darcy who was mouthing the words from the hoodoo book. "Be careful with that stuff," he warned, "it can be pretty powerful."

Darcy pushed a piece of her dark red hair out of her face and gave Dean a cocked eyebrow look.

"Okay fine," he said after a second, "you know what you're doing."

"Thank you," she said.

Dean went back to driving with a smirk on his face.

**New Orleans**

Darcy walked out of the building with a satisfied smile on her face. _Another one bites the dust._

She turned around in time to see Dean exit as well. He was half covered in muck. The hoodoo ritual they had used had been a little messier than they thought it was going to be but it did get the job done.

Darcy couldn't help but laugh as he walked past her.

"Not one word," he muttered. There was a disgusted tone to his voice, "let's just get back to the motel so I can get a shower."

**Motel New Orleans**

Darcy was picking through her take-out Chinese food when Dean got out of the bathroom in his pajama bottoms and a towel around his neck.

"Dude, even I don't take that long in the shower," Darcy teased as Dean grabbed one of the other containers on the table. She noticed that serious thinking face that Dean didn't usually have. When he did, it was not a good thing. "What's wrong? You did a great job today. Uncle John is going to be proud of us."

"It's not that," Dean said with a distracted tone, "just something has been nagging at me for a while. I can't figure out what. Dad hasn't contacted us in three weeks."

Darcy shrugged. "Your phone rang while you were in the shower. You have a voicemail." She got up to trash her empty carton as Dean listened to his voicemail. He turned and faced her. "What is it?"

Dean hung up his phone. "We have to go get Sam."


	2. Pilot

Stanford University

**Stanford University**

Darcy maneuvered through the bar where Sam, his girlfriend and their friend entered. Dean opted to wait in the car so that Sam wouldn't spot him. He wasn't one for a big reunion in a bar. Darcy spotted Sam and his group at a table and got a spot on the bar nearby.

"So there you go. You're a first round draft pick," his friend said. He was dressed like a zombie. Sam's girlfriend was a naughty nurse. Darcy thought she pulled it off well. Why was it that all girls dressed less for Halloween? Even Darcy was guilty of it. She didn't want to be conspicuously overdressed so she went in dressed as a slayer. It was somewhat funny and very easy to pull off with the supplies they had in the car. She couldn't hear all that was being said because the bar was so loud. She moved a little closer.

"So how does it feel to be the golden boy of your family?" the friend asked.

"Oh they don't know," Sam replied nonchalantly.

"Oh I would be gloating," his friend asked loudly. He was drunk. "Why not?"

"Because we're not exactly the Bradys," Sam answered. A man in a tiara and a fairy costume leaned close to Darcy at the bar as he ordered.

"More shots!" The friend came up to Darcy on the other side of the bar. Darcy smiled at him and he smiled back. Darcy turned and glanced at Sam and his girlfriend. They were kissing sweetly. The friend must have noticed. "You ain't getting between that. He sure does love that girl."

Darcy turned back to the friend and nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."

**Outside the Bar to Parking lot; Stanford University**

Darcy slid into the passenger seat. Dean started driving.

"Sam lives in the on-campus apartments around the corner. Third floor. Apartment 3-8. Also I get the impression that Sam hasn't told Jessica about your family history," Darcy stated.

"Okay," Dean said, "good job. Let's go."

Dean pulled into the parking lot and started counting the windows of the building. He looked over and noticed Darcy counting too.

"And what are you doing?" Dean asked raising his eyebrows.

"Figuring out which room is Sam's," she answered.

"I already figured it out and you're staying in the car," Dean said.

"Oh come on," Darcy replied.

"If Sam is still on his game he'll likely jump whoever breaks into his apartment."

"You're gonna break in?" Darcy asked, "Why not knock on the door?"

Dean got out of the car and started up the fire escape. "Because I want to see if he is still on his game."

**Sam and Jess's Apartment**

Sam was asleep in his bed when he heard a clattering in the kitchen. He checked on Jessica who was asleep then made his way to the kitchen. He saw an open window and a figure move through his kitchen. He waited for the right moment then attacked the intruder. He couldn't see the guys face but this trespasser could fight. After an extensive fight, the intruder got the drop on him.

In the light, Sam could see the silly smile of his older brother. "Whoa, easy tiger," Dean said with a laugh.

"Dean?" Sam said with a mixture of surprise and slight anger, "You scared the crap out of me."

"That's because you're out of practice," Dean replied. He laughed at his small victory which gave Sam the perfect opening to drop him and get him into a hold. "Or not, get off of me."

Darcy was listening at the door and heard the sounds of a scuffle within, then low voices. She saw from under the door that a light was on and heard a woman's voice say Sam's name. With the show of machoism over Darcy was sure that Dean wouldn't mind if she crashed the party too. After four years of riding with him he should know better than to assume she would stay in the car. She grabbed one of her tools but accidentally dropped it to the floor.

"I love the Smurfs," she heard Dean say through the door, "You know I have got to tell you, you are completely out of my brother's league."

His voice was getting closer to the door.

"Just let me put something on," said the female voice. Darcy assumed it was Jessica.

"Oh No. I wouldn't dream of it, seriously," said Dean. The door to Sam's apartment opened. Dean stood there with the knob in his hand and half serious/ half smirk look on his face, "thought I told you to wait in the car." He turned back to Sam and Jessica. "While we're on introductions, this is Darcy."

Darcy waved at both of them and came in. Dean walked back to Sam and Darcy followed. "Anyway I have to borrow your boyfriend here. Talk about some private family business but nice meeting you," Dean said to Jessica.

Darcy could tell by Jessica's face that she was a little hurt by the dismissal. Sam probably could tell too because he was immediately at her side assuring both of them that whatever had to be said could be said in front of Jessica.

Dean used a subtle choice of words to get the message across to Sam. "Dad's on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days."

Sam's face tightened in intensity. "Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside."

Darcy addressed Dean and Sam more than Jessica, "Maybe Jessica and I could chat while you boys catch up."

Jessica nodded and so did Dean, "Great idea."

**Stairwell in the apartment complex to parking lot.**

Sam and Dean started squabbling over the fact that their dad going missing wasn't a big thing. It had happened before quite a few times. That seamlessly turned into another fight about how they were raised like warriors by their father. Dean dismissed him when he brought their mom into it and Sam changed the subject

"Don't you think Darcy is a little young for you?" Sam asked as soon as he and Dean got into the stairwell.

Dean was confused for a moment. "What? No eww," he said when he finally understood what Sam meant, "she's our cousin, Sammy. You remember Mom's uncle?"

"The one who has had nothing to do with us for twenty years? Yeah"

"Well, Darcy is his daughter. She's been hunting with us since you went ran off to live your little normal apple pie life."

"No not normal. Safe"

"And that's why you ran away?"

"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was going to go I should stay gone and that's what I'm doing."

Dean looked Sam in the eye and was the most honest with him than he thought he ever had been. "…Darcy and I can't do this without you."

"I don't know about Darcy but you can do this without me."

"Yeah but I don't want to."

**Sam's Apartment to the Parking lot**

Jessica and Darcy had been chatting away about Sam's accomplishments and how he was going for an interview on Monday.

Sam came into the apartment and rushed to the bedroom. Dean wasn't with him so Darcy figured that he was in the car. After hearing that Sam was coming with she slipped out the door.

When she got down to the car Dean was already in the driver's seat with the motor running. She crawled into the back seat pushing their bags out of the way to make room.

**Gas Station**

When they arrived at the gas station Dean went straight into the station and Darcy hopped out of the back to start filling the tank. She leaned against the car and looked over at Sam. They had talked a little bit but Sam wasn't much for conversation. Where Dean and Darcy acted like brother and sister now, to Sam she was just some kid tagging along. He had never seen her in action and didn't know that she really had earned the right to be there on these hunts.

Dean came out of the station and handed Darcy her Dr. Pepper and honey bun. He leaned past her and addressed Sam. "Hey, you want breakfast?"

Sam declined. Darcy hopped into the car as Dean put up the gas nozzle. "So how did you pay for that stuff?" Sam asked, "You and Dad still running credit card scams?"

"Hunting ain't exactly a pro-ball career," Dean answered, "besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards." Dean hopped into the driver seat.

Darcy glanced around to see if anyone had heard Sam talking about credit card fraud while he and Dean continued their conversation. "So Darcy do you not get a card too?"

"Dude I'm only seventeen."

"And like we would trust her with a credit card," Dean teased, "Darcy's skills lie elsewhere."

Sam looked at Darcy with surprise. "What Dean means by that is I am an excellent pool and poker player. No expects the sweet 21 year old to clean them out."

"Right," Sam said returning to the box in his lap. He started in on Dean and his cassette tape collection. _You're never gonna win this one, Sammy. _She started rocking out to Back in Black from the back seat.

**A Bridge outside of Jericho**

Sam was checking out hospitals and morgues in Jericho for anyone matching their Dad's description. Like Dean hadn't done that already. Darcy was working on homework meaning she was reading up on random lore so that she would have a wider grasp of the supernatural.

Dean had been driving for only an hour when they passed a bridge. There were a lot of cops milling around. Dean pulled over and shut off the car. "Disappear," he told Darcy. She immediately ducked down in the back seat. Dean grabbed his badge box out of the glove box. He smirked at his brother's reaction to the badges. They had been a great addition hunting.

As he and Sam approached the car he heard one of the deputies say, "almost too clean." Then he and the other started talking about the missing guy dating one of their daughters.

"You fellas had another one like this last month didn't you?" Dean asked them. They gave him a strange look which he responded to by flashing the badge.

"Federal Marshals," and he continued trying to get information but the officers didn't seem to buy that he was a Marshal. He and Sam continued asking about connections and theories.

Sam was so not comfortable with posing as federal agents. He wanted to get the information and get out of there. He stomped Dean's foot when he made a snipe remark.

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen." Sam started back toward the car. He got only a few feet before he felt a hand strike him across the back of the head.

"Oww, what was that for?" Sam asked in a sharp whisper.

"Why'd you have to step on my foot?"

"Why'd you have to talk to the police like that?"

Dean cut Sam off. "Whoa. They don't really know what's going on. We're all alone on this. I mean if we're going to find Dad we've got to get to the bottom of this thing ourselves."

Sam looked past Dean and saw a miserable old sheriff and two FBI agents standing there sizing them up.

Sam and Dean averted their eyes and made their way quickly to the car.

When they got in the car and started it up Sam heard a voice from the backseat. "What's the story?"

"Another missing dude," Dean answered.

**In the Car**

Sam continued filling Darcy in as she stayed hidden. Dean gave her the all clear and she sat up. The three of them decided to split up. Darcy would go talk to the girlfriend and Sam and Dean would go to the library and start trying to see a pattern. Darcy would call when he had information.

Dean spotted the girls putting up flyers. "That's them."

Darcy got out of the car at the end of the street and walked over to them as Dean and Sam drove off to the library.

**Jericho Library**

"So what is the deal with Darcy? Why is a seventeen year old daughter of an uncle who has shunned our family suddenly a hunter?" Sam asked in a whisper. Dean could tell that the questions had been piling up in that big brain of his.

Dean wasn't sure how much he should tell Sam. His father had sworn him to complete secrecy on a few details. Dean had been thinking about what he was going to tell Sam.

"Uncle Mike and his family got attacked about four years ago by a kenaima. It's like a rabid were-jaguar. Uncle Mike, Darcy and her little brother, Will, were lucky to survive but her older brother Frank and their mother weren't so lucky. After the kenaima was taken down another supernatural thing after them, and then another. Dad figured something was coming after the family so he had Pastor Jim help them go into hiding."

"Why didn't she go with them?" Sam asked.

Dean looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Darcy figured out how to kill the kenamia. She proved herself by helping us fight it off. Then she helped with the other things as well. Dad talked with Uncle Mike and they decided that she would stay with us."

That was the story that Dean was sticking to. He looked at Sam's face to see if that would satisfy his curiosity. His phone started ringing.

"Hello," Dean answered, "got it. Good work." Dean hung up the phone and reported what Darcy had told him about a local legend of a ghost of a murdered female hitchhiker on Centennial.

They started searching on the internet and after a few failed searches they realized that maybe the ghost wasn't murdered. They found the article for the suicide of Constance Welch.

**The Bridge**

After they gathered the information that they needed the boys had picked Darcy up. Now all three were looking out over the bridge they had visited earlier that day. This was the same bridge that Constance Welch had taken a swan dive.

"Uncle John would have come by here if he had the same intel we got," Darcy stated. Dean nodded.

"Okay so now what?" Sam asked as they all headed back to the car.

"We keep digging till we find him. It might take a while," Dean answered. His tone suggested that the answer was more than obvious.

Darcy kept walked forward a bit because she knew what was about to happen. She had heard Sam talk about his big interview at the bar.

Dean asked Sam if he was serious about his plans to go back to a "normal" life and asked in Jessica would ever accept what he had done. "Sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are."

"Oh yeah and who is that?" Sam asked. Darcy could tell he was angry.

Dean gestured to Darcy and himself and answered, "You're one of us."

Sam cut Dean off. "No I am not like you. This is not going to be my life."

Darcy couldn't believe that someone could hate so much of their life and be so angry at their family. Well she could sympathize with the last part. She had been so mad at her dad after her mother and Frank died. She was angry that her father had kept all of them in a bubble when he had been warned that this world. It had taken a while for her to not blame her father. Surprisingly a lot of the insight that had helped her was from Uncle John and Dean. It was a smart move on their part. Emotions like that only distract you if you aren't careful.

"She isn't coming back," Sam said.

In less than a second Dean had grabbed Sam and slammed him against the side of the bridge.

"Don't talk about her like that," he said as calm as he could manage.

Dean felt an arm on his shoulder. "Hey," said Darcy from behind him, "chill out. It's okay."

Dean turned and backed off. He stopped when he saw Constance balancing on the edge of the bridge. "Darc, Sam," he called, not taking his eyes off of the ghost. Constance turned and looked at the hunters before jumping off of the bridge. All three of them ran to where she had gone down.

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked. He heard a familiar sound behind him and saw the light from the Impala headlights.

"What the…?" Darcy started.

Sam stood next to Dean. "Who's driving your car?"

Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. The car peeled out and started for them. Everyone started running as fast as they could but car was gaining. Sam, Dean and Darcy had no choice but to dive off of the railing.

**The Motel**

"One room please," Dean had said throwing down a fraudulent credit card. The clerk had pointed out that another 'Aframnian' had rented a place for the whole month. Sam and Dean kept watch while Darcy broke in. They were not surprised to see all the articles taped on the walls but the salt and cats' eye shells. He was trying to protect himself from something and, as Dean pointed out, he hadn't been there in days.

Darcy turned to Dean. "Sam and I can look through all of this, Dean. Just get a shower will ya?"

Darcy had taken the words right out of Sam's mouth. As Dean crossed to the bathroom Sam decided he would do the right thing. He had been pretty harsh last night. "Hey Dean," Sam said, "what I said earlier about mom and dad, I'm sorry."

Dean stopped him, "Please. No chick-flick moments."

Sam nodded, "Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean relied without missing a beat.

"Brothers," Darcy said rolling her eyes.

Sam and Darcy looked over everything pinned on the walks while Dean was in the shower. Sam scanned the wall and found the same article that he and Dean had found.

"It's a Woman in White," Sam explained, "Dad figured it out."

Sam thought it was a little weird discussing a case with Darcy. With Dean and already it was a little easier because it was just getting back into the swing of things. Darcy was just a kid.

"If we're dealing with a Woman in White, Uncle John would have found the corpse and torched it,' Darcy said looking again at the victims posted on another wall.

"She may have another weakness," Sam replied. It was more to himself than to Darcy.

"Uncle John would have dug her up," Darcy said assuredly, "He would have wanted to make sure. Does it say where she's buried?"

"Not that I could tell," Sam stated as he scanned the article again, "but if I know Dad he would have gone to the husband. Maybe he's still alive."

Sam looked at some of the other things that his father had displayed and found a picture. It was of Sam, Dean and their father.

"When Dean gets out we'll figure out our next move," Darcy said. She cleared off one of the chairs and sat in it, "I'm gonna rest up for a minute. I think Dean's got about five more minutes left before he's out."

"How do you figure that?" Sam asked.

""What song is he singing," she asked.

Sam was confused for a second but he put his ear near the door. "It sounds like 'Back in Black'," he answered.

"Yeah he's got five minutes," she said picking up a magazine.

As Darcy had predicted Dean was out of the shower in five minutes. He was fully dressed and ready to eat.

"I'm gonna grab a bite at that diner down the street. You guys want to come?" Dean invited but Darcy wasn't hungry and Sam was checking his messages.

"See you when you get back," Darcy answered.

Less than a minute later Darcy's phone was ringing. It was Dean. "Hello?"

"Dude 5-0. Take off!"

"What about you?" she asked jumping out of the chair and heading for the window.

"They kinda spotted me. Get out of there."

Darcy hung up the phone and went to the window. "Dean's busted. We got to fly," she told Sam. She peeked out the window and saw a deputy coming to the door. She hurried to the window and made it out just before the deputy opened the door.

Darcy and Sam hid behind the room until it was clear. Luckily they hadn't taken the car and Darcy had been vigilant enough to snag the keys. She went back and got the car. Sam was going through the back way, behind the motel, because the cops and the motel manager had both seen him.

**Street near the Motel**

Darcy pulled up to the street where Sam was waiting. She let him drop her off at a pay phone near the police station. Darcy had volunteered to break Dean out of the pokey while Sam went to talk to Mr. Welch.

**Behind the police station**

After making an anonymous phone call Darcy walked to the back of the police station. It took Dean a little while but finally Darcy was a figure climbing out of a top window.

"Fake police phone call?" he said to her when he finally got down, "that's pretty illegal. Even for you."

"What can I say?" Darcy retorted, "you're a bad influence."

Dean laughed. "I'll bet. Where's Sam?"

"Talking to Constance's husband," Darcy answered.

"Let's go," Dean said as he pulled his father's journal out.

"Is that…?"

"Yeah"

"Damn"

**Back on the street**

Dean had been on the phone filling in Sam when the line went dead.

"Sam? Sam!" Dean hung up his phone and turned to Darcy, "We got to get to Constance's old house. Sam is in trouble."

**Constance's house**

Dean and Darcy caught a cab and Darcy promised the guy double if he got there in five minutes. Dean was appalled by having to pay the guy that much but was impressed by the driving.

As the cab drove off they heard the Impala pull up to the house. They ran to it and saw Constance's ghost taking advantage of Sam.

"That's just wrong," Darcy said.

Dean nodded. Darcy handed him a gun and he started shooting at the ghost. It disappeared and Dean went forward to check on Sam.

Sam shot up and started the car. "I'm taking you home."

Dean wasn't sure what he was doing. "Sam?" Dean's precious Impala ripped through the house. Dean and Darcy walked through the huge hole and went to check on Sam. Dean pulled him out of the car.

"Guys?" Darcy said from behind them. Dean turned to see Constance holding a picture. She threw it down and moved to the side allowing a dresser to slam into him and Sam, pinning them to the car.

"Hey bitch," Darcy yelled, "that was uncalled for."

Dean would have reacted to that poor telling off of the ghost but his leg was throbbing. The lights started flickering and shaking.

"Besides," Darcy continued, "I believe that they want to talk to their mommy."

Dean looked to where Darcy was pointing and saw two creeping looking ghost children at the top of the stairs. Water began spilling down from where they were standing. As Constance walked to the bottom of the stairs, Dean and Sam tried to push the dresser off their legs. Darcy rushed to help them. It started to give a little but not much. The children appeared nest to Constance and hugged her. Within two seconds she was nothing but a puddle.

With Constance gone, the dresser was easy to push off. Darcy and Sam went to the puddle to check it out, while Dean was more worried about his car.

"You found her weak spot. Good work Sam," Darcy said, giving Sam a small nudge. He smiled and turned to Dean.

"What were you thinking, shooting Casper in the face?"

"Saved your ass didn't it?" Dean answered. He was more worried about how they had gotten the gun. He was sure that Darcy hadn't had it when they were in the cab and all of his weapons were in the trunk of the Impala.

"Oh and Sammy," Dean continued, "pushing the thoughts out of his mind, "if you screwed up my car… I'll kill ya."

**On the road**

Sam was checking out the co-ordinance that his dad had left for Dean. He told Dean that it was a place called 'Blackwater Ridge, Colorado.' Both were keeping their voices down because Darcy had basically passed out in the back.

Sam knew that Dean really wanted him to go with them to Colorado but he had to get to Stanford for his interview. He couldn't miss the opportunity.

**Stanford**

Dean pulled up in front of Sam's apartment.

"Call me if you find him?"

Dean nodded.

"Maybe I can meet up with all of you later," Sam offered. Dean knew it was an empty offer. Once Sam knew that their Dad was alive he would just say 'I told you so' and they wouldn't see him for another four years.

Sam started back toward the building. "Hey Sam," Dean said, "you know we made a hell of a team back there." He motioned to the sleeping Darcy.

"Yeah," Sam answered, "tell Darcy I said goodbye would ya."

Dean nodded again and drove off.

After a few feet he glanced back at Darcy and jokingly tossed a pen at her. She jolted then glared at him. "That was…"

"Uncalled for," Dean said with a smirk. His expression changed when he saw a horrified look on Darcy's face. "What is it?" Dean asked.

The radio started spazzing and Dean didn't wait for an answer. He was out of the car in a second.

"Jessica," Darcy said.

**Stanford Parking Lot**

Dean had told Darcy what happened while Sam was looking at weapons in the back of the car. Both walked over to him. Darcy put her hand on his back and gave him a sympathetic look.

Sam threw the gun he had just loaded into the trunk.

"We got work to do."


	3. Wendigo

**Just outside Grand Junction**

Dean, Sam and Darcy had dug around for a week after Jessica died. Sam had hoped to find something, anything about the demon but Dean and Darcy knew it was a lost cause. Dean had decided to let hit try anyway. It was something he had to do.

Now they were on the road, heading to Blackwater Ridge, Colorado. It was where the co-ordinance that their father had left for them. Dean had convinced Sam that if there was ever any way of finding Jessica's killer, it would be by finding their father. Their father disappearing, this thing showing up again after over twenty years. It was no coincidence. Dean was sure that his dad would have the answers.

Dean was driving, Darcy was navigating, and Sam was finally getting some sleep. Dean had been concerned about Sam's restless lack of sleep and the nightmares that Sam wouldn't talk about.

Sam shot up quickly and gasped. Darcy and Dean were looking at him. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus and wake up completely.

"You okay?" Darcy asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered, "I'm fine." He tried not to let his voice shake. He was sure that Dean wasn't buying that he was 'fine.'

"Another nightmare?" Dean asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

Sam cleared his throat, making it obvious that this was not a topic he wanted to discuss.

Dean seemed to get the hint. "Want to drive for a while?" he asked.

Sam was shocked by the invitation. He glanced at Darcy who had gone back to the map. She was looking at Dean with the same disbelief that Sam was feeling. He couldn't be serious. Sam looked back at Dean at again and saw that his invitation was sincere.

Sam knew that Dean was worried about him but he assured him that he was okay.

"Uh huh," Darcy said from the back.

"Alright," Sam asked, "Where are we?"

"We are just outside of Grand Junction," Darcy answered. She handed him the map so he could see.

"These co-ordinances Dad left us," Sam speculated, looking over the area marked, "There is nothing there. Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?"

Neither Dean nor Darcy had that answer.

**Ranger Station**

Darcy and Sam were looking at a large three dimensional map in the middle of the Ranger's office. Darcy was stating everything that she could find about Blackwater Ridge.

"…abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place," she finished.

"Dude check out the size of this freakin' bear," Dean said.

Darcy looked up at him. He hadn't been listening to a single word. She rolled her eyes and went to look at what bear he was talking about. When she saw the picture she was a bit surprised at the size. It was huge.

"There are a dozen or more grizzlies in the area," Sam explained, "It's no nature hike. That's for sure."

Darcy as a little impressed. Sam had done his homework too.

"You kids aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge, are you?"

Darcy turned and saw the ranger standing there with a cup of coffee.

Sam made a quick lie about being Environmental Studies majors which prompted the ranger to look at Darcy.

"I'm a freshman," she lied, "recycle."

Dean raised a fist to represent. Darcy smiled to cover that she was going to laugh.

The ranger hadn't bought it. "You're friends of that Hailey girl and her brother."

Dean looked at Darcy and shrugged, "Yes, yes we are."

It turned out that some girl had been annoying the rangers with stories that something happened to her older brother. She 'felt' something was wrong even though her brother and his friends weren't supposed to return for quite a few days. Darcy could sympathize with the girl. If she thought something happened to Frankie nothing would have stopped her from making sure he was okay.

She didn't say a word. Dean glanced at Darcy occasionally. He couldn't ignore the connections between this family and Darcy's. It was art of what attracted to find out more. Also this Hailey girl sounded like a real pistol.

**Outside the Ranger Station.**

Darcy rolled her eyes. She reached the before the boys. They were bickering over the fact that Dean wanted to talk to this Hailey girl. Sam wanted to go straight to the co-ordinance. He was not acting like the Sam that Dean and Uncle John had told her about.

Granted Dean often chose the wrong times to pick up a date but this time he had made an okay argument. Something bad may have happened to someone at Blackwater Ridge. They had to check it out before they went their blind.

**Outside/ Inside Hailey's House**

Darcy, Sam and Dean were talking to Hailey and her little brother. Dean had convinced her that he and Sam were rangers and that they were training Darcy. Sam was sitting at the dining table watching the last videos and pictures that Tommy had sent. Darcy was hanging back in the corner.

Dean told Hailey that they were heading to Blackwater Ridge in the morning.

"Maybe I'll see you there," Hailey replied.

Dean looked at her questioningly.

"I can't sit around here anymore. So I hired a guide and I'm going to find Tommy myself."

"I think I know how you feel," Darcy said. Dean looked at her. She glanced at him but looked away quickly.

"Do you think you could forward this to me?" Sam asked, breaking the half second of awkwardness that was about to take over the room.

**Bar**

Darcy chilled out by the pool tables while Dean and Sam were talking. She had helped Sam do some of the research and knew most of the information. Now while Dean was getting filled in, Darcy decided to scrape them up some extra cash for supplies.

She had a fairly large stack when Dean came over and said it was time to go.

"Oh come on," she argued, "I'm on a roll here."

"Yeah and we have to go talk to someone," Dean replied in a somewhat dad voice, "and before you even suggest it. Not going to happen. Come on."

"But Dean."

Dean turned and with a stern face raised an eye brow.

"Yes sir," Darcy said. She grabbed her jacket and followed Dean out of bar.

**Motel**

"Spirits and Demons don't have to unlock doors if they want in," Darcy stated.

"Usually they just walk through the wall," Dean continued.

"So," Sam speculated, "It's probably something else. Something corporeal."

Dean had filled Darcy in on what he and Sam had learned. Now they were discussing theories of what they might be hunting.

"Corporeal?" Dean mused, "well excuse me professor."

"Shut up," Darcy and Sam said simultaneously. They both looked at each other for a second.

"So what do we think?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Dean stated, "I mean the claws. The speed that it moves…"

"Could be a Skin-walker," Darcy suggested, "or a blackdog."

"Whatever it is," Dean interjected, "it's corporeal which means we can kill it."

"Right," Darcy agreed, "I packed up some gear I thought we might need. Food, supplies, stuff like that."

Sam looked at what she had packed.

"I used to be a Girl Scout," Darcy explained, "Always be prepared."

"Well no offense to you or Juliette Gordon Low but we're packing light," Dean stated. He dumped out one of the packs and headed out the door.

Sam turned to Darcy. "Who?"

"Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts," Darcy explained.

"The fact that Dean knows that is highly disturbing,"

"He got laid up with a broken leg last fall," Darcy explained, "Jeopardy. Price is Right, All My Children."

Sam laughed a little and so did Darcy.

**The Woods Around Blackwater Ridge**

Sam was not happy that Dean had opted not to scare Hailey off of her brother's rescue. All he wanted to do was find Dad. Nothing else mattered to him. Dean was a little surprised that he was the insightful one for a change. There was no way that this chick was going to be swayed when she knew her brother was in trouble.

Dean pulled up to Hailey's hiking party just in time. It looked like they were just about to head out. Hailey, her brother and some guy that Dean guessed was their guide all had packs and gear. They looked like real hikers.

"Get the pack, Darc," he said then he addressed the Hailey's group. "Got room for three more?"

Hailey looked skeptical. She introduced them to Roy. Roy also seemed skeptical.

"You're rangers," he asked.

"That's right," Dean answered.

"I'm in training," Darcy added.

"And you're heading out in biker boots and jeans," Hailey asked.

Dean could feel the 'I told you so' look coming from Darcy. He ignored her and addressed Hailey. "Oh sweetheart, I don't do shorts."

Roy didn't appreciated Dean's sense of humor.

"It's dangerous out there," he said to Dean, "her brother could be hurt."

Dean smirked. He knew how dangerous it really was out there.

"We just want to help them find their brother. That's all," Darcy said sincerely.

**Later in the same woods**

The group had been hiking along for a while. Nome of them were much for conversation but Dean was having fun getting a rise out of Roy. After he made yea another sarcastic remark, Roy grabbed him violently by the shoulder. Everyone stopped and looked at Dean and Roy.

Darcy wondered what Roy was planning on doing. She gripped the strap of the weapons bag, which she had slung over her shoulder. Roy pointed out the bear trap that Dean would have stepped in. Darcy jumped a little as it snapped together. She frowned and looked at Dean. _What if he had stepped in that?_ she thought, _He has to get focused. _But no. He was Dean. Darcy rolled her eyes as her cousin tried to play it cool. She could hear the slight tremble in his voice though. He was a lot more careful where he stepped as well. Everyone was a little more careful where they stepped after that demonstration.

As they got to a slight clearing, Hailey passed Darcy and started talking to Dean.

"You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffle bag," she stated her observations, "you're not rangers. Who the hell are you?"

Roy was in front of them. Sam was following Roy close behind. Ben passed the scene without looking at them. He had his earphones on and probably couldn't hear what his sister was saying. _He doesn't care who we are_, Darcy realized, _He just wants to find his brother_. Darcy was the only one behind them. She gave Dean a questioning look as if to say 'should I just keep going?' Dean nodded and Darcy kept moving behind Ben. A part of her wondered what Dean was saying to her.

Dean had been more honest with Hailey than he had ever been with a woman, at least to his recollection. He had told her that Sam and Darcy were family and that they were all in search of his father. She had seemed cool with his explanation.

He was pretty pleased with himself as he munched on the peanut M&Ms he had stuffed into his jacket that morning.

**35, -111 Blackwater Ridge**

Sam was not pleased when the group reached the co-ordinance 35, -111. There was nothing there. Oddly enough, there was an eerie silence about the area. Not a bug or cricket was chirping, there were no birds and they hadn't seen an animal in a while.

Dean and Darcy came up to either side of him and mentioned the stillness of everything.

Roy wanted to go scouting. Sam still had a big problem with babysitting these noobs who knew nothing about the dangers now surrounding them. He wasn't about to just let one of them go off to get killed.

He hadn't convinced Roy to stay close but on Dean's suggestion the rest of the group didn't stray off from each other.

"Hailey," Roy's voice boomed though the silence of the woods.

Hailey bolted in the direction to the voice. Dean and Ben were not far behind, the Sam and Darcy.

All of them were shocked for a moment. Before them was the wreckage that had once been a campsite. It looked like something had attacked. Roy speculated a grizzly but Dean knew better. Not even the grizzly from the ranger's picture could have done this damage.

Hailey started yelling but Sam was quick to stop her. He and Darcy were obviously thinking the same thing Dean was. Whatever did this was still out there.

Dean left Darcy and Sam to keep the civilians close in. When he came back he signaled Darcy and Sam over to him and told them what he found. Bodies had been dragged a few feet out then the tracks disappeared.

"That's weird," Darcy stated.

Dean nodded, "I'll tell you what. It's no skinwalker or blackdog." They were back at square one and by having no idea what they were hunting they faced a really big issue.

Dean thought through his options and saw Hailey off to the side. She looked very distraught. Dean started to go over to her but Darcy grabbed his arm lightly and shook her head.

"Hey, he could still be alive," she said sincerely. Dean was standing a few feet behind her and wasn't sure what her face looked like but he could see Hailey's. Hailey's eyes glimmered with hope, almost as if she could sense that Darcy had been in this same situation. Dean hoped that the story ended better this time.

A cry for help echoed through the trees. Everyone ran toward it as fast as they could. Dean cocked his gun. Roy had his rifle. Darcy had opted for her sling shot. It was her one of her favorite weapons.

All of them had gotten pretty far away from camp before they realized there was no one around. Sam ordered everyone back to camp.

When the group got back to the campsite they quickly realized that all the packs were now gone. The thing that had gotten Tommy and his friends was smart. It wanted to cut them off from civilization.

Sam walked over to Dean. "I need to talk to you," he said, "in private."

Darcy stayed back with the civilians while Dean and Sam walked just out of sight and earshot. Darcy was sure she now knew what they were hunting or more appropriately, what was now hunting them.

She addressed Roy, Hailey and Ben. "Listen up. It's time to go," she said, "things have gotten… more complicated."

"Kid, don't worry," Roy said with rifle in his hand, "whatever is out there, I can handle it."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Darcy told him.

"If you shoot this thing," Sam said, returning from the woods with Dean, "you're just going to make it angry. We have to leave, now."

Darcy looked at Dean who rolled his eyes as Roy told them that they were crazy and not in charge.

"Relax," Dean ordered.

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place," Sam said. Darcy could tell he was holding back his anger, "We're trying to protect you."

Roy got into Sam's face assuring him that he was a skilled hunter and as the last straw mentioned their mother.

"It's a damn near perfect hunter," Sam said slowly, "smarter than you and it's going to hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here."

Roy laughed in Sam's face. Darcy didn't like this situation. She and Dean had to hold Sam and Roy back from each other before Sam said something stupid. Dean shoved Sam away from Roy and told him to cool it. Darcy had taken Roy on. The young teen pushed the old hunter back a few feet and warned him to back off.

Hailey started yelling louder than anyone. She reminded everyone why they were there and assured them that she was going nowhere until she found her brother.

Dean took control of the situation and told everyone to bunk down before it got dark because the 'thing' was a better hunter at night than in the day. They had to protect themselves.

**Later**

Darcy and Dean were drawing Anisazi symbols into the dirt around the campsite. Darcy walked over to Dean.

"Dean," she said, "I got this. Go talk to your brother alright."

"Yeah I don't like where his head is at right now."

"He's angry and still grieving," Darcy said, "he had hoped Uncle John was here and now he has nothing."

"To tell you the truth I don't think Dad was ever here," Dean sighed. He walked over to talk to Sam.

Hailey asked Darcy about the symbols as she kept drawing. She explained. Roy was vocally skeptical about 'Wendigos' or any other monster in the woods.

Sam and Dean were having a heart to heart about how Dean, their father and Darcy could live the life.

"I'll tell you what else helps," Dean finished, "killing as many evil sons of bitches as possible."

"Hell yeah," Darcy said. She sat down next to Dean, "I finished up with the symbols and I think we're pretty much set for tonight. What's the plan…?"

A scream interrupted Darcy. It was the Wendigo trying to draw them out.

"Just stay cool, stay put," Dean said.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy retorted. Dean turned to him as if he was going to say something. Another cry for help followed by the sound of a monster rumbled through the trees. The noise came from all around them.

"Okay," Roy said, "pointing his rifle, "that's no grizzly."

"Glad that finally got through, Roy," Darcy said in a low tone. She had her slingshot cocked and had moved back to the center with Hailey and her brother.

"It's okay," Hailey said, "you'll be alright. I promise."

Darcy glanced at the sibling and thought of her brother. She shook the thought out of her mind. It wasn't a time to get distracted.

Roy shot into the brush as the creature moved around. It yowled in pain. Roy chased the creature into the woods. Dean and Sam were not far behind trying to stop him. His gun had done nothing except upset the thing.

"Stay put," Dean ordered before disappearing.

Darcy turned to Hailey and Ben. "It will be alright."

**Next Morning**

Sam was leaned up against a tree trunk keeping watch. He had his dad's journal in his lap. None of them had seen Roy since last night and though no one said anything. They all knew what had happened.

Dean came back from checking on him and began looking around.

"These types of things aren't supposed to be real," Hailey stated.

"I wish I could tell you different," Dean replied

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" she asked.

Darcy looked up. "We don't," she answered.

Dean glanced at Darcy then back to Hailey. "But we're safe for now," he finished.

"How do you know about this stuff?" Hailey asked.

"It kind of runs in the family," he answered honestly.

Dean walked over to where Darcy was sitting. "How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm good," she answered. Dean could tell she wasn't saying something. She had been kind of quiet on this trip.

"It's just I can't help but notice the similarities between this situation and… you know," he said sitting next to her.

Darcy wouldn't look at him. "Yeah noticed that too," she said.

"Listen if you need to talk or…" Dean started.

Darcy looked taken aback. "I'll be fine Dean," she said, "You know me. The hunt comes first." She laughed a little.

Dean knew that Darcy's brother was weighing heavily on her mind. There was no way that it couldn't. Felix and Darcy had been on a family camping trip when the kenaima attacked and killed him. She had told Dean a few times that she felt powerless not being able to save him. It was one of the reasons Darcy liked hunting. It gave her back her power. She wanted to save others the way she hadn't saved her family.

Sam came walking into the cam. "We got half a chance in the daylight," he stated, "and I for one, want to kill this evil son of a bitch,"

"Hell, you know I'm in," Darcy replied standing up.

Dean nodded, "me too."

**Into the Woods**

The group walked through the woods following markings left by the Wendigo.

Darcy had pulled ahead only a little and made it to a clearing. She looked up.

"Boys?" she called. Dean and Sam stood next to her and looked up as well.

There were the same distinct claw marks on the trees. They seemed to realize what she had just figured out herself. "I was thinking," she said in a hushed tone so that Hailey and Ben couldn't hear, "those claw marks were so clear and distinct."

They looked at her then each other

.

"They were almost too easy to follow," Sam said.

The sound of the Wendigo began surrounding them again. A moment later, Roy fell out of tree and almost landed on Hailey. He was dead. The next time they heard the Wendigo Dean ordered them to run. Darcy was just in front of Sam. She heard a rustling and stopped. She turned to see Sam helping Ben up. She waited for them to catch up and all kept moving. A scream pierced the trees. It was Hailey. Sam, Ben and Darcy ran toward the sound but when they go there Dean and Hailey were gone.

**Mineshaft**

Darcy had found a trail of M&M's that Sam was sure Dean had left behind. They lead to an old mineshaft. Sam led the way in. He heard a growl and pushed Darcy and Ben into the wall. Ben was about to make a sound and both Sam and Darcy covered his mouth. After it was gone they made their way deeper into the tunnel. The floor beneath them gave way and all three fell into a cavern.

Dusting himself off Sam looked around and saw Hailey and Dean hanging by their arms. Darcy must have seen them too.

"Dean," she said in a hushed yell.

Sam cut Hailey down and had Ben help her down and untie her. Then he cut Dean down and handed him to Darcy so they both could get him untied. Sam let Darcy finish with Dean while he went over to help Hailey and Ben with their brother. He was alive.

"Check it out," Darcy said holding flare guns in her hands.

"Those will work," Sam replied smiling. Dean smirked too.

**Ranger's Station**

Ben and Sam were talking to the police and Dean was talking to Hailey. The Wendigo was dead. The hunters had tricked it and Dean shot it with his flare gun. Everyone made it out of the woods. They were a little scratched up but they were safe.

Darcy was listening to the EMTs that were loading Tommy into the ambulance. One of them looked at her. "Who is coming with him, ma'am?"

"His brother and sister are over there," she answered.

Darcy leaned up against the car next to Sam and watched the family ride off in the ambulance. She was happy that this was over and that everyone was alive. "I really hate camping," she said.

"Me too," the brothers replied.

Dean turned to Sam, "You know we're gonna find dad right?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded, "but in the mean time… I'm driving."

Dean nodded and tossed him the keys as Darcy climbed in.


	4. Dead in the Water

Gynnwood Inn

**Gynnwood Inn**

Darcy was at the counter sifting through obits. She had gotten up before the boys and left a note for them to meet her in the diner next to the hotel. Dean came and sat in the 9seat next to her.

"Can I get you anything?" the waitress asked him. She was hot, blonde and barely wearing a top and short shorts. Darcy rolled her eyes at Dean.

Sam took the seat next to Dean. "Just her check please," he said indicating Darcy.

Wendy the waitress nodded and gave Dean one last smile before going to the back.

"You know Sam," he said in a hushed tone, "we are aloud to have fun every once in a while. That's fun." He looked at Wendy the waitress.

"No 'that' is engaged," Darcy replied, "Wendy is getting married in two months and she and her son are moving to Ohio. She just flirts to get a bigger tip. You should spend less time staring at her chest and more time looking at her hand. You would have seen the rock."

Dean turned to Darcy, "do you have any other information for us?"

Darcy tossed him a paper. "Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week, Sophie Carlton 18. She goes into the lake and doesn't come out. Authorities dragged the water and nothing. Sophie is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either."

Dean looked at the obit. "It says that that there was a funeral two days ago."

"A funeral?" Sam repeated.

"Yeah," Darcy answered, "They buried an empty coffin for closure or whatever."

"Closure?' Sam repeated again, "What closure? People don't just disappear. Other people just stop looking at them." Sam glanced at Dean.

"Something you want to say to me?" Dean replied defensively.

"The trail for dad is getting colder every day."

"Exactly," Dean replied, "So what are we suppose to do?"

"I don't know," Sam answered, "Something. Anything."

Wendy came back with the check and Darcy paid it out while Dean and Sam were squabbling.

"So how far is it to Lake Manitoc?" Darcy asked interrupting their fight.

**Lake Manitoc**

Darcy had let Dean and Sam talk to the family while she looked out around the lake. She saw an older man staring out at the lake from his deck. He looked so sad. She looked out on the lake. How could a place so beautiful be holding something so horrible?

**Sheriff's Office**

Sam had come up with the cover that they were from the Wildlife Services before they went into the Sheriff's office. They were invited in to talk to the sheriff in his office. Dean and Sam sat in the chairs while Darcy leaned against the back wall. The Sheriff was still working under the assumption that the deaths were all accidental. He assured them that nothing was in the lake and informed them that the lake was going to be gone soon.

A girl came in. The sheriff introduced her as Andrea Barr, his daughter. A little Boy peaked out from behind her. He looked at Dean, Sam and Darcy then walked into the lobby. The sheriff said his name was Lucas and when Sam asked if he was okay, the sheriff just replied, "He's been through a lot. We all have."

Dean asked Andrea to escort them to the nearest hotel even though it was only two weeks away. Darcy and Sam shared a look over Dean's lame flirting tactics. They still weren't close but that was one thing they always agreed on. Andrea said goodbye to her son and her father and lead them outside and around the corner to the motel.

The entire time Dean had been making comments about how much he liked kids. It wasn't long before they saw the sign saying 'Lakefront Motel'

"Here it is," Andrea said, "It must be hard with your sense of direction…never being able to find your way to a decent pick up line."

Andrea walked away, "Enjoy your stay."

"I like her," Darcy said with a laugh.

"Kids are the best?" Sam said looking at Dean, "You don't even like kids."

"I love kids," Dean replied.

"Name three children that you even know," Darcy said.

Dean couldn't think of one. Sam and Darcy sighed and left him to wrack his brain.

**In the Motel Room**

Sam was researching deaths on Lake Manitoc while Dean was unpacking. Sam stated that over the past thirty five years there had been nine deaths including the three this year. All of them were similar in the fact that the bodies were never found. Dean asked if 'Lake Monster' was still the theory. Sam didn't think so. It didn't fit the MO of any lake monsters they had heard of.

Looking further into the missing people they discovered that Lucas's father had drowned in May and Lucas had been there. He was a witness.

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out, "Dean said solemnly, "losing a parent isn't something you just get over."

**The Park**

Darcy was told to meet up with the boys at the park. She had been getting lunch for them when they called and filled her in. She watched Lucas sitting alone coloring. He reminded her of Will. Her little brother had been Lucas's age when their mother died.

Darcy felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Dean. Sam walked over to Andrea who was sitting on a park bench. Dean and Darcy followed.

"Can we join you?" Sam asked her.

"I'm here with my son," she said with a smile.

Dean went over to talk with Lucas which Andrea took to be another flirt tactic on his part. Sam shook his head. "I don't think it's about that."

Darcy saw it too. Dean was like a big kid himself some times and he did have a connection to this kid. She hoped he could get through to him.

"Lucas hasn't said a word," Andrea was telling Sam, "Not since his dad's accident."

"Yeah, he heard," Darcy replied, "Sorry."

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asked.

The doctors had related it to post-traumatic stress. It couldn't have been easy for them. Andrea and Lucas had even moved in with her father so that he could help.

"Kids are strong," Dean replied walking up to them, "you'd be surprised what he could deal with."

Darcy nodded. Andrea was talking about how lively he used to be and how he was now when Lucas walked up to Dean. She gave him a drawing of a house.

"Thanks Lucas," Dean said.

Lucas walked back to his place. No one knew what to say about that. Andrea was stunned.

**Motel**

Dean and Darcy were in the room eating burgers and going over theories over what could be responsible for the killings and talking about the picture Lucas drew.

"So I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie," Sam said walking in.

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked.

Sam went on to explain that Will Carlton, Sophie's brother had drowned in the sink. That meant they were dealing with something else. Dean speculated that it could be a water demon or something else that controls water. Darcy was pacing. She turned around.

"Water from the same source," she realized.

"The lake," Sam said standing up.

"Yeah."

"That's why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants it's running out of time."

Dean who had been watching this exchange. "And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere. This is going to happen again. Soon."

"And we know one thing," Sam said, "It definitely has something to do with Bill Carlton."

Darcy nodded, "It took both his kids."

Sam said that he had asked around and Lucas's dad happened to be Bill's godson. They decided to go visit The Carlton place again.

**The Carlton place**

When they returned to talk to Bill Carlton he was beyond grief. His voice was heartbreaking. Darcy knew that she was looking at a broken man. He had lost both of his kids. There was nothing they could learn from him.

As Darcy, Sam and Dean walked back to the car, Dean looked up and noticed a small house. It was identical to the house Lucas had drawn him.

**Andrea's house**

Lucas sat drawing in his room. Dean had convinced Andrea to let them talk. He knelt down next to Lucas and looked at some of the pictures he had drawn. There was the same red bike over and over again.

"I wanted to thank you for that last drawing," he said, "But the thing is… I need your help again."

Lucas didn't say anything or stop drawing. Dean sighed and unfolded the picture Lucas had given him.

"How did you know to draw this?" Dean asked, placing the drawing in front of Lucas, "Did you know something bad was going to happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no. You're scared. It's okay. I understand."

Darcy and Sam were listening in the doorway with Andrea. Lucas still hadn't responded.

"When I was a kid, I saw something bad happen to my mom and I was scared too," Dean continued, "I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But, see, my mom, I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day and I do my best to be brave."

Dean glanced back at Darcy. He saw a tear fall down her face which she brushed away quickly. He turned back to Lucas.

"I bet your dad," Dean finished, "he'd want you to be brave too."

Lucas dropped his crayon and looked at his mother. He handed Dean another picture.

"Thanks Lucas."

**On the road**

Dean and Sam were talking about post-traumatic psychic tendencies. Sam thought that whatever Lucas saw connected him to this thing. Darcy had to agree. She was still looking at the picture Lucas had given Dean.

"We got to find this house," Darcy chimed in.

Dean agreed but made the point that there were a lot of houses that looked like the one in the picture.

"But that church," Sam speculated, "bet there's less than a thousand of those around."

"Oh college boy," Dean replied, "thinks he's so smart."

All three laughed a little. Sam stopped and looked at Dean. "That stuff you said about Mom," he said, "you never told me that."

Darcy had the feeling that Dean had never said that to anyone.

"It's no big deal," Dean said.

Sam looked at Dean.

Darcy looked at both of them. "You guys aren't going to hug or anything, are you?"

**The Yellow house**

Dean and Sam waited outside while Darcy talked to old Mrs. Sweeney. She liked doing all that information gathering stuff and old people seemed to like her.

About twenty minutes later Darcy came out the house. She filled both of them in on Peter Sweeney. He used to be friends with Bill Carlton and now all of Bill Carlton's loved ones are getting punished. The spirit wants revenge.

Dean pulled into the Carlton place.

**Carlton place**

They were looking around for Bill Carlton when Dean heard the sound of a motorboat. Everyone yelled for Mr. Carlton to turn the boat around and come back to shore but he ignored them. As he drove out into the middle of the ocean an explosion sent him and the boat flying.

Darcy jumped and grabbed Sam's arm.

"Come play with me."

**Sheriff's Office**

The boys had explained as clear as they could what had happened to Bill Carlton but the sheriff wasn't buying it or their cover. He threatened to arrest the lot of them unless they agreed to leave immediately. Darcy hadn't been paying attention until that last part. She had been thinking of something that had happened just before. Lucas had been at the station when they came in. He was very upset but Dean had calmed him down but Darcy could tell something was really troubling him.

**On the Road**

Dean was on the outer edge of town.

"Stop the car," Darcy said sitting up quickly from the back seat, "Dean we have to go back."

"I think this job is over," Sam argued, "Peter's ghost got its revenge."

"But what if you're wrong?" Darcy said back. She turned to Dean, "What if we've missed something. Things don't feel done here yet. More people are going to get hurt."

"Why would you think that?" Sam asked.

"Because Lucas was really scared," Dean answered, "I just don't want to leave until I know the kid is safe."

"Who are you," Sam asked Dean sarcastically, "and what have you done with my brother?"

"Shut up," Dean replied.

"We should go to Andrea's house," Darcy suggested.

**Andrea's House**

As Dean was about to ring the doorbell Lucas opened it. He was really panicked as he turned and ran. Dean heard a scream from upstairs. He ran Lucas with Darcy and Sam close behind him.

The three acted quickly when they got upstairs. Dean kicked the door open and held Lucas back while Darcy and Sam pulled Andrea out of the water. The ghost was strong. It pulled her back in. Darcy and Sam used all their strength to finally get Andrea out of the water and out of danger.

**Later**

Sam was talking with Andrea. He wanted to calm her down and figure out what exactly happened before they got there. Andrea told him that she thought she was going crazy and that she had heard a voice.

Dean had been sitting with Lucas and Darcy. They were looking at some of Lucas's drawings. Darcy saw one picture that had three boys in it. They were all dressed alike. One boy had a fishing pole, one boy had a star on his chest and the last one had a red bike next to him.

Darcy put the picture down and went to a collection of photo albums. She pulled out the one that said 'Jake at age 12.' She turned to a picture of three boy scouts in uniforms like the one that Lucas drew. One was Peter, and one was Bill Carlton. Darcy figured the last one was Jake who grew up to be the sheriff. She showed her finding to Andrea, Sam and Dean. The latter figured the same thing she did. This had to do with the sheriff and Bill Carlton.

Lucas got up and walked out the door. Everyone followed him. He stood on a soft patch of dirt in a clearing. Dean asked Andrea to take Lucas back to the house while Darcy and Sam went to find shovels.

It wasn't long before they hit something. Sam pulled out Peter's red bike. Darcy heard a click behind her. It was the sheriff with a gun pointed at Sam.

Dean, Sam and Darcy told him about Peter's spirit and that they knew that he and Bill Carlton had something to do with his death. It was coming back for revenge just like it did with Bill Carlton. Andrea ran up to her father and pleaded for him to put the gun down.

The sheriff thought they were insane. Dean ignored his contempt and asked where Peter's body was.

"Tell us you didn't just let him go in the lake," Dean said.

Even Andrea was convinced that this was true and asked her father confirm it and answer them. The sheriff told them everything including the fact that he and Bill let the body drift into the lake. Sam, Dean and Darcy all groaned silently. There was no body and no way to vanquish the spirit.

Darcy heard a faint voice and looked out toward the lake as Dean suggested that entire family stay away from the lake. She saw Lucas near the edge.

Dean and Sam jumped into the lake from the dock. Andrea looked like she was going to go in as well but Darcy stopped her and held her back.

"You can't go in there," Darcy told her. The boys were searching franticly for Lucas and in all the chaos no one saw the sheriff wade out into the lake. He began pleading with the ghost as everyone else pleaded with him to go back. It was too late. Peter grabbed the sheriff and pulled him down into the lake. Dean dove down again and this time came up with Lucas in his arm. Darcy and Andrea pulled them up.

**Parking lot**

The three thought it would be a good idea to stay overnight and ensure that the ghost was gone. Dean had been down since the day before and Darcy knew why.

"We can't save everybody," Darcy told him comfortingly, "you and I both know that."

Dean nodded. Sam came over with the last of their things and it was about time to hit the road. Lucas and Andrea came running up. They were dealing with the sheriff's death very well. He was carrying a tray of sandwiches that he had made for Dean and the others.

"Can I give it to them now?" he asked his mother.

Dean helped him load the sandwiches into the car. Everyone said their goodbyes and Dean even got a kiss.

"Alright, Sam," Dean said, "move your ass. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road."


	5. Phantom Traveler

Motel

**Motel**

Darcy was sound asleep on her air mattress in the corner of the motel room. She had finally gotten to sleep sometime late the night before when she could finally drown out Sam walking around. She figured he couldn't sleep partly because of what he had been through and mostly because Dean was a terrible snorer at times. Darcy had gotten used to it but Sam had been gone for a while.

She heard the door creak open but paid it little mind. Seconds later Sam and Dean started talking. It was too darn early. They started talking about the fact that Sam was having nightmares and how taxing the job was on a person. Dean played the hardened hunter.

"You can't bring it home like that," Dean said. Darcy smelled the aroma of coffee.

"So, what, all this, it never keeps you u at night?" Sam asked, "Never? You're never afraid?"

"No not really," Dean replied.

"That oversized pig sticker under your pillow tells a different story," Darcy said rolling over. She figured she wasn't sleeping anymore.

Sam sighed and slid the knife out.

"That's not fear," Dean responded, "That is precaution."

"Whatever," Sam said.

Darcy got up. "I'm too tired to argue," she shrugged.

Dean's phone started ringing.

Sam handed her a Dr. Pepper. "This should wake you up." Darcy looked from Sam to the bottle in her hand. "I know you don't drink coffee and you love Dr. P."

"Thanks, Sam," Darcy smiled, "I appreciate it."

"Jerry Panoski?" Dean repeated into the phone. He shrugged to Darcy and Sam having no idea who was on the phone.

Darcy thought a minute. "Panoski? Poltergeist in Pennsylvania, three years back."

Dean took the cue and repeated the info into the phone. He hung up the phone. "Sounds like we have a job."

They all started gathering their things. Dean stood up. "Oh yeah," he said, "Jerry." He smiled being very proud of himself for remembering the case.

**Airport Hangar**

Jerry led the team through the hangar to his office. He spent the walk telling Sam how much his dad, Darcy and Dean helped him out with a poltergeist in his house. Dean had a very pleased smile on his face at the praise.

Then Jerry changed the subject to Sam's college career and how proud his father was of him.

"He talked about you all the time," Jerry said.

"He did?" Sam asked. He was a little surprised.

Jerry asked how John was doing because he couldn't get a hold of him.

"He's, um…wrapped u in a job right now," Dean answered.

"We're missing the old man but we get Sam," Jerry replied, "fair trade."

**Jerry's Office**

Jerry had the three listen to a recording from a plane that crashed telling then that it was something right up their alley. When the recording was finished they agreed. There was a monstrous sound following the distress call and then silence.

Dean, Sam and Darcy all looked at each other. Jerry recited all the information about the crash including survivors. He said that the pilot, one of the survivors, was his friend and he was taking the crash pretty hard.

Sam gave Jerry a list of things they would need to investigate. Dean said they had to see the wreckage.

Jerry agreed that he could get the things they needed but that the NTSB had the wreckage locked away in a warehouse.

Dean looked at Darcy.

"Not a problem," Darcy said smiling.

**Outside the Copy Jack**

Darcy was busy doing her thing inside the Copy Jack while Dean and Sam were working the rest of the angles. Sam was checking out the EVP on the recording while Dean called to check on some of the survivors.

"Thank you very much ma'am," Dean hung up the phone. "What do you got?"

""There is definitely EVP on the cockpit recorder device," Sam said, "Listen."

"No survivors."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Dean asked, "There are seven survivors."

Sam and Dean discussed different theories on what the case could be. They figured now they had to talk to survivors. They decided to talk to Max Jaffe.

"He checked himself into a mental institution," Sam stated, "We have to get in there to talk to him."

Darcy walked up to the car.

"And now you have a way to do that," she said with a satisfied smile.

"You've been in there forever," Dean said.

"Can't rush perfection," she stated handing him two IDs.

"Homeland Security?" Sam asked, "That's pretty illegal."

"Yeah, well, it's something new," Dean said, "People haven't seen it a thousand times. Okay Darc, hop in and let's go."

"I'll stick around here," she said, "I got some stuff to take care of and government agents don't tend to drive around with teenage girls in their back seat."

"Suit yourself," Dean said, "we'll call when we roll in. Call Jerry if you have any trouble."

**In town**

Darcy was running errands when the phone rang. Dean was calling to bring her up to speed. They were going to talk to the widow of a passenger that apparently had black eyes and was able to open the emergency exit in mid-flight.

"Man, I don't care how strong you are," Darcy said into the phone, "that is impossible."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "even doped up on PCP or something."

"Not if you're human," she heard Sam say.

"Does Sam think this guy was something else?" she asked lugging her other ear so she could hear what both of them were saying.

"Some kind of creature, maybe?" Sam suggested.

"That look like a creature's lair to you?" Dean asked him, "Darcy we got to go. Just wanted to give you the heads up."

"Thanks Dean," she said.

"What are you doing over there anyway?" he asked.

"You'll see when you get back," she said and she hung up.

**Later**

"That doesn't make any sense," Darcy said after the boys told her about the widow.

"Yeah a middle-aged dentist with acid reflux is not exactly evil personified," Dean agreed, "What we need to do is get inside and check out the wreckage."

"Okay but if we're going to go that route," Sam said, "we better look the art."

"Way ahead of you boys," Darcy said smiling.

They looked at her questioningly.

**Outside Mort's for style**

Darcy was leaning up against the car waiting.

"Well if it isn't the Blues Brothers," she teased as they walked out.

"I think Dean looks more like a seventh grader at his first dance," Sam said.

They both laughed knowing how much Dean hated suits.

"I hope I got the sizes right," Darcy said, "I took my best guess on Sam."

"Perfect fit," Sam said doing a little spin.

"I hate this," Dean said indicating the suit.

"Do you want in the warehouse or not?" Darcy said to him.

Dean looked at her then Sam, who gave him a nod, before sighing defeatedly and getting in the car.

**Airport parking lot**

Darcy waited patiently in the car looking over Uncle John's book while the boys pretended to be Homeland Security and checked out the wreckage. After five minutes with no alarms Darcy knew they had gotten through. She didn't doubt they would with the IDs she made.

Not long after the boys went in three black unmarked vans pulled in front of the warehouse.

"Uh'oh," Darcy said grabbing her cell phone.

**Inside the warehouse**

"What is this stuff?" Dean asked about the stuff on the plane door handle.

Sam inspected it. "Only one way to find out."

Dean's phone rang as Sam scraped some of the substance off of the handle.

"Hello," Dean answered.

"You better go out the back way," she warned, "the real deal just pulled up. I'll swing around to get you."

**Jerry's Office**

Jerry had let them use his stuff to examine the substance the boys had found.

"This stuff is covered in sulfur," Jerry told them.

He left them alone in the office to talk while he went to yell at an employee.

"You know there's not many things that leave behind a sulfuric residue," Darcy said looking at the screen.

"Demonic possession?" Sam suggested.

"That would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open an emergency hatch," Darcy agreed.

Sam signed, "If the guy was possessed it's possible."

"Yeah but this goes way beyond floating over a bed and barfing pea soup," Dean chimed in, "I mean it's one thing to possess a person but use him to take down an entire airplane?"

"Have you ever heard of something like this before?" Sam asked.

Darcy shook her head.

"Never," Dean said.

**The Motel**

Darcy, Sam and Dean were researching demons and demonic possession. There was quite a bit of lore on the subject but the most relevant bit came from the Japanese. Sam read off what he had found out about them. Apparently there was a demon for any kind of disaster and this one causes plane crashes.

Dean signed.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"This isn't our usual gig," Dean answered, "I mean, demons, they don't want anything just death and destruction for its own sake."

"From what we know, Dean," Darcy replied.

"This is big," Dean said, "and I wish Dad was here."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "me too."

Darcy looked down. A part of her had though the same thing.

Dean's phone rang. It obviously wasn't good news. "Jerry, I'm sorry what happened?… Where'd this happen?... I'll try to ignore the irony in that… Nothing. Jerry, hang in there, all right? We'll catch up with you soon."

Dean hung up the phone. Darcy looked up at him unhappily. "Another crash?" she asked.

"Yeah," Dean answered, "let's go." Ant doubts he had about staying on the job vanished. He was back in it.

"Where?" Sam asked.

Dean answered, "Nazareth."

**Jerry's Office**

The boys found the same sulfur residue on Chuck's plane that had been on the previous plane. Everyone started bouncing theories around about what was going on.

"What are the constants in both crashes?" Darcy asked.

Dean figured since Chuck Lambert was involved in both that demon wanted to get him and now there was no problem.

Sam stated that both planes went down at exactly the same time, forty minutes into flight.

Jerry was confused about the significance of that so Dean explained the theory of biblical numerology. Forty equals death.

Sam also told everyone that he had found six other crashes with the same M.O. over the last ten years. All without survivors until this last one.

**On the road**

Sam and Darcy were calling the survivors while Dean drove. The flight attendant was the only one intended to be airborne any time soon. They couldn't reach her because her cell phone was off. They would have to book it if they wanted to stop her flight.

**Airport**

Dean, Sam and Darcy ran into the airport and found the flight that Amanda was going to be on.

"We still have a few cards to play," Dean said. He and Sam rushed to the phones.

Dean used the courtesy phone to get a hold of Amanda at her gate. He told Amanda that he was a doctor and her sister was in the hospital. Sam looked to Dean's face to see if it was working. Obviously it wasn't.

"You what?" Dean asked turning away from Sam's goofy face. He started sputtering then shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

Sam strained to hear what Amanda. "He's really sorry." Dean looked at Sam, shrugged and continued, "Yeah, but he really needs to see you tonight. So-…Don't be like that. I mean, come on. The guy's a mess… No, no wait. Amanda. Amanda!"

Dean hung up the phone. "Damn it," he said as he started pacing, "that was so close."

Darcy walked back to where they were, "Alright, it's time for plan B."

"Where have you been?" Sam asked.

"I had to get these," she said holding up three tickets, "We're getting on that plane."

She handed Sam his ticket. "When did you get these?"

"Do you think I ever rely on Dean and the first plan?" she asked.

Sam nodded and laughed a little, "We're getting on that plane."

"Well, now just hold on a second," Dean said.

"Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board," Sam told him before getting a little quieter, "and if we're right _that plane is going to crash._"

"_I know_," Dean answered.

"Well, okay," Darcy said, "then we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it."

"We just need to grab whatever we can get out of the car," Sam said, "whatever would make it through security. Meet me back here in five minutes."

Sam started off. Dean looked dejected, watching him leave.

"Are you okay?" Darcy asked him.

Dean kind of shrugged, "No. Not really."

"What?" Darcy frowned, "What's wrong?"

"I kind of have a problem with a…"

"Flying?"

"It's never really been an issue until now," he said with panic in his voice.

"You're joking," Darcy said.

"Do I look like I am joking!" he said urgently, "Why do you think we drive everywhere."

Darcy could tell that this was really getting to Dean. "All right. We'll go without you."

"What?" Dean seemed to like this plan even less.

"Sam and I can handle this."

"Are you nuts," he said, "you just said the plane is going to crash."

"Dean you can come with us or Sam and I can go without you," she said, "I'm not seeing a third option."

**On the plane**

Dean wasn't happy but he finally gave in and all three made the flight. Sam asked Darcy why Dean was acting so weird and Darcy was able to whisper to him what had happened.

When they found their seats Darcy got the window, Sam sat in the middle and Dean was sitting in the aisle seat. The second he was seated he started studying the safety procedures. Sam and Darcy looked at each other.

Sam tried to hide his amusement. "Just try to relax."

"Just try to shut up." Dean tightened his seatbelt. It was as though every movement or sound the plane made freaked him out even more.

**Later**

Darcy was looking over Uncle John's journal again.

"Are you humming Metalica?" Sam asked Dean.

Dean kept humming. "Calms him down," she said. Darcy felt bad that Dean was so scared but it was a little amusing to find a chink in his armor… oh no. _When we get focused on the job he will be fine_.

"I get you're nervous, all right?" Sam whispered to Dean, "but you got to stay focused."

Sam was pulling Dean back into the game. He went over the numbers with both Dean and Darcy. "We have 32 minutes and counting to track this thing down or whoever it's possessing anyway, and perform a full on exorcism."

"Yeah on a crowded plane," Dean retorted.

"That's going to be easy," Darcy said. She started feeling like Dean looked.

"We just need to take this one step at a time, all right?" Sam said, "Now, who is it possessing?"

Dean knew the answer to that, in theory. He explained what he knew about demon possession and how demons usually chose someone with emotional distress or a weakness.

Sam guessed that Amanda might be a little distressed right now because it's her first flight after the crash. Dean and Darcy agreed.

They figured out which attendant was Amanda. Next they had to test if she was possessed. Dean wanted to go the forceful direct method with holy water but Darcy suggested they try something more subtle.

"If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God."

Dean nodded and got out of his seat. Sam stopped him. "Say it in Latin," he suggested.

"I know," Dean said.

Both Darcy and Sam turned around, "Hey!"

Dean came back, "What?"

"In Latin, it's 'Christo'" Darcy said.

"Dudes I know," Dean said, "I'm not an idiot."

Sam and Darcy were alone. "So you seem to be a pretty easy flyer," Sam said.

"Yeah," Darcy replied, "I flew around a bit when I was kid. Even went to Disney World once."

Sam honed in for a moment on the statement 'when I was a kid.'

"What about you?" Darcy asked, "You don't seem as nervous as your brother."

"I do know how he feels though," Sam said honestly, "My college friends and I went on trips every year. I've had a chance to get over it."

"All right, Well, she's gotta be the most well-adjusted person on the planet," Dean stated.

"You said Christo?" Sam asked

"Yeah."

"And?" Darcy asked.

"There's no demon in her." Dean answered, "There's no demon getting in her."

The realization that it now could be absolutely anyone on the plane set back in. The plane shook which caused Dean to panic again. Sam talked him down.

"You are leaving yourself wide open to demonic possession," Sam said, "you need to calm yourself, right now."

Darcy put her hand on his. It was gripping the armrest tightly. "Just breathe, Dean."

Dean let out a long breath.

"Good," Darcy said when she felt his hand loosen. She showed then their dad's journal. I found an exorcism in here that I think is going to work," Darcy said.

"The Rituale Romanum," Sam read.

"What do we have to do?" Dean asked.

Darcy explained what the Rituale Romanum was meant to do.

Dean again seemed to be back to himself a little, "Okay, Darcy and I will look around see if we have any luck finding the thing."

"What am I suppose to do," Sam asked. He knew all three of them couldn't start searching the plane without looking a little suspicious.

"You, little brother," Dean said, "start brushing up on your Latin."

**Later**

With less than fifteen minutes left Dean had found the demon. It was in the pilot. They needed help to get to him. Sam and Dean went to the back to talk to Amanda while Darcy kept tabs on the pilot. There wasn't a lot of places he could go but there was no way they would take a chance. Sam lead the conversation telling Amanda as much as she needed to know, which was a lot of information for one person.

Amanda reluctantly agreed to help them. She would bring the pilot back for a talk.

Darcy sat in a seat close to the front, pretending to read a newspaper. She checked her watch again as Amanda walked up to the cockpit and come back with the pilot. Darcy followed them and waited outside till Amanda came out.

"You can't go in there ma'am," she said.

"I'm with those guys," Darcy told her, "it's cool."

Darcy came in as Dean went flying back. She grabbed him and tried to keep him down. Dean was right behind her and both tried again to hold him down. Sam was reading the incantation. The Demon got an arm loose and back handed Darcy across the face and threw her into the wall. She slid down wincing in pain. Dean went flying back too. The Demon started talking to Sam about Jessica. Dean jumped up quickly and punched him in the face. Darcy grabbed the Demon's shoulders. Sam kept reading then put down the book. The Demon kicked it into the cabin.

"The Journal!" Darcy exclaimed.

"I got him," Sam said taking Darcy's position. She quickly ran into the cabin.

A black smoke came out of the pilot and seeped into the airplane.

Darcy saw the journal a few feet ahead. She started moving forward when the plane started plummeting. The journal slid forward and went under a seat. Darcy stretched her arm across under it to try and reach and finally did. She pulled it out and looked behind her. Sam was on the ground a foot back.

"Sam!" she yelled. She sat up and handed him the journal so he could finish the incantation.

Moments later the plane was fine again. Sam helped Darcy up and went back to check on Dean while Darcy checked on the pilot and Amanda.

**Airport**

After giving statements to the police Dean and Sam waited for Darcy to finish too. Sam was upset about what the demon had said.

"These things," Dean told him, "they read minds. They lie. All right? That's all it was."

Sam nodded as Darcy walked up to them.

"Let's go," she said.

**Jerry's Hangar**

They had just said their goodbye's to Jerry when the question dawned on Dean. "How did you get my cell phone number anyway? I've only had it for like six months."

"You're dad gave it to me," Jerry answered.

All three were surprised by the answer. Jerry explained that when he called their dad, his voicemail told him to call Dean. Dean dialed his father's number. And all three leaned in to listen to the voicemail. Sure enough, the voice of John Winchester instructed them to call Dean's number if they needed help.

No one said anything. They got in the car and drove off.


	6. Bloody Mary

Motel

**Motel**

Darcy was pouring through records trying to find anyone named Mary who might have died in front of a mirror. So far they had come up with nothing on the research front. Research was a little more difficult because the library computers were all out of order but the idea they were running with was that Bloody Mary had killed a man. Dean had been helping but had just stepped out to get everyone some lunch.

Sam gasped. He had been having another nightmare. "Why'd you let me fall asleep?"

"Because Dean is an awesome brother," Darcy answered, "he said you needed your rest. I agreed."

Sam looked around. "Where is he?"

"He's getting some food," Darcy answered, "So what'd you dream about?"

"Lollipops and candy canes," Sam answered.

Darcy didn't believe that. "Yeah, sure."

"Did you find anything?" Sam asked.

Darcy rubbed her eyes. "Besides a whole new level of frustration? No. We've looked at everything. A few local women, a Laura and a Kathryn committed suicide in front of a mirror and a giant mirror fell on a guy named Dave but no Mary."

"Maybe we just haven't found it yet," Sam said with a sigh.

"I've also been searching for strange deaths in the area," Darcy said, "anything like how our guy died. There is nothing. Whatever is happening here maybe it just ain't Mary."

Dean walked in with two bags of food. "We got some trouble," he said putting the bags on the table. Sam's phone rang as Dean was telling them that another person died last night.

**In the Park**

Charlie, a teenage girl, had been the one that called Sam. Charlie met the hunters the day before at the wake of the first victim, her friend's dad. Now Charlie's other friend had also died the same way, in front of a mirror. The newest victim summoned Bloody Mary. Charlie thought that she was going insane.

Sam, Dean and Darcy assured her that she wasn't and that they could stop other people from getting hurt but they would need her help.

**Motel**

Darcy was back to work, trying to find anything that she could. After the second victim she decided to try a national search.

Dean and Sam were with Charlie at the last victim's house trying to gather more clues.

Darcy's phone rang.

"Hello," she answered, "Gary Bryman? Yeah. I'll call you back."

Sam had found the name written on the back of the mirror that Jill had died in front of.

It didn't take Darcy long to find the article on Gary Bryman. She called Sam back and relayed the information. He was a young boy, killed in a hit and run by a Toyota Camry. The driver was never identified.

**Donna's House**

Charlie had told Sam and Dean that Jill drove that car. This prompted Dean and Sam to go back to the first victim's house. On the back of the bathroom mirror was written 'Linda Shoemaker,' the name of the victim's wife. She had apparently died of an overdose of sleeping pills.

Donna, the first victim's daughter, was not very happy that two strangers were nosing around her house and kicked Sam and Dean out. Charlie stayed behind for her friend.

**The Motel**

The boys returned to the motel to find Darcy hard at work on the computer.

"You're doing a nationwide search?" Sam asked.

"Yep," Darcy answered, "The NCIC, the FBI Database. At this point any Mary in the country who died in front of a mirror is good enough for me."

"But if she's haunting the town, she should have died in town," Sam replied.

"But there is nothing local," Darcy told him, "we checked."

Dean looked at Sam and shrugged. "Unless you have a better idea."

Sam pointed out the pattern that Mary was using to choose her victims. Dean said he was thinking the same thing. Both victims had secrets where people died. Darcy chimed in with the folklore about mirrors revealing your true soul. Dean and Sam continued talking.

"I've got something," Darcy interrupted, "take a look at this."

Darcy printed out and showed them a case report on Mary Worthington. She was from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The picture showed her dead in front of a mirror with a handprint and the letters "Tre..." Sam said that the handprint matched the one left on the backs of Bloody Mary's victim's mirrors.

"There is a detective listed on the case file," Darcy told them. She had been doing some typing while they looked the file over. "He's retired now but here is his home address. Maybe you guys can find out more from him."

"Right," Dean said, "we'll all go out there tomorrow."

"I can't," Darcy said.

"Why not," Sam asked.

Darcy signed and handed them another paper that was set aside. "I have a weird feeling about Charlie and this whole thing. I set this up earlier today."

Dean took the paper and read it. "Are you serious?"

**Toledo High School**

Darcy had faked some school records so she could keep an eye on Charlie. They had gotten through three periods without incident. Now they were in Charlie's science class and she looked upset. She had looked upset since she, and her friend Donna, had come out of the bathroom.

Charlie looked into a pocket mirror and started to freak out. She went screaming across the room and even threw a chair through a window before running out of the door.

Darcy slipped out through another door in the classroom and ran after Charlie.

She found her cowering in a corner trying to get away from all reflections.

"Charlie? Charlie it's me Darcy," she said squatting down next to the girl.

"She said it," Charlie muttered through her tears, "Donna said it."

Darcy pulled off her jacket and gave it to Charlie so that she could shield herself. "Where are your keys?" she asked.

**Motel**

Dean and Sam learned a lot on their trip. Mary Worthington's mirror was in a store in Toledo. On their way back Darcy called them from the motel and told them what happened at the school.

While they were waiting for the boys to get back, Darcy set to work covering or turning around any surface she could that had a reflection. She then sat on the bed next to Charlie and asked her what happened. Charlie told her about an old boyfriend that had killed himself after they had a fight.

The boys finally got back to the motel to check in with Darcy and Charlie and to plan what they were going to do next. Darcy agreed with Dean.

"I think we should find this mirror and smash it," Darcy said.

Dean shook his head. "You're staying here," he told her.

Darcy was dismayed be Dean's refusal to let her come on the hunt. He told her that she needed to stay back with Charlie and keep her company. She reluctantly agreed to do what asked,

**In the car**

"You know as well as I do spirits don't exactly see shades of gray, Dean," Sam replied. He and Dean were driving to the antique shop when Dean pointed out that Charlie's boyfriend's death wasn't her fault. "Charlie had a secret, someone died, that's good enough for Mary."

Dean knew this. It was the reason that he had made Darcy stay back in the motel room without mirrors. It was the gray area that Dean worried about with her. Four years earlier when Darcy started hunting with Dean and his father, the later had confided a secret to Dean. It was only known to Uncle Mike, Dean and his father and it was the reason that Darcy's family had been targeted. Dean swore he would never tell anyone, even Darcy, the secret. Therefore, Darcy technically had a secret and her mother and brother died. Dean didn't want to risk Mary's vengeance.

"I guess," Dean said, focusing back on the job.

**Motel**

Darcy and Charlie were each sitting on a bed. They hadn't said much to each other since the boys left and Darcy was reading a book she bought at a local shop.

"So Dean and Sam are your cousins?" Charlie asked.

Darcy looked up from her book. "Yeah," Darcy answered.

"And you all drive around hunting… urban legends?"

"Not exclusively," Darcy said, "We go where we think something supernatural is hurting people and we stop it. It doesn't matter what it is."

"How old are you?"

Darcy put down her book. "I'm seventeen."

Charlie seemed stunned but this wasn't a topic that Darcy wanted to discuss.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, "I can probably order a pizza."

Charlie shook her head, "I could do with some water though. I just can't go into the bathroom."

Darcy smiled. "I'll get you some," she said, "I got nothing to fear."

**Motel- Bathroom**

Darcy grabbed a glass and began to fill it with water. She glanced up at the mirror and saw nothing but her reflection. The face staring back at her had an evil smirk about it that she knew wasn't on her own face. Then the reflection started bleeding from her eyes. Darcy dropped the glass when she realized her eyes were doing the same.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked from outside the bathroom.

"Stay out," Darcy ordered and she slammed and locked the door.

It was all she could manage before her chest tightened.

"They're dead because of you," the reflection said.

Darcy fell to her knees in pain and then Mary was gone. Darcy gasped as the tightness in her chest disappeared. Mary had stopped but why? She unlocked the door and got out of the bathroom as fast as she could.

**Antique Store**

Sam had summoned Mary back to her window and was attacked. Dean smashed the mirror. They hoped that would destroy Mary and by the looks of it the plan worked. As they were leaving, Dean supporting Sam, Mary crawled out of her mirror and corporealized. Within a minute both boys were on the ground moaning in pain and bleeding from the eyes.

Dean acted quickly and grabbed a mirror. Mary had killed people and at the sight of her reflection she was destroyed by her own M.O.

**Motel**

Darcy unlocked the door and let the boys into the room. All three looked frightening even though each had tried to wipe the blood from their eyes.

"Please tell me you got that bitch," Darcy said to them.

**Outside Charlie's House**

Dean drove up to Charlie's driveway with Sam in the passenger seat and Darcy and Charlie in the back.

"So this is really over?" Charlie asked.

Dean told her it was and Charlie got out of the car.

Sam stopped her and told her that she should forgive herself because she probably couldn't have stopped her boyfriend from doing what he did.

"Sometimes bad things just happen."

"That's good advice," Dean said looking at Sam. Dean then turned to Darcy, "for both of you."

Darcy glanced at him when he said that but quickly looked back out her window. They had talked a bit last night before Dean went to sleep. They were all exhausted. Darcy hadn't said much since. After she was positive the boys were asleep Darcy went into the bathroom and looked at the back of her mirror. She knew what names she would find there.

"Frank Harrison" "Lucy Harrison"


	7. Skin

At the Gas Station

**At the Gas Station**

Dean was laying out the itinerary for the next potential hunt as he pulled into the gas station. Darcy had been scouring news articles and found a something promising in Bisbee, AZ.

Sam didn't seem interested in what Dean was saying. "Sam wears women's underwear," he added to prove Sam was in his own world. Darcy chuckled.

"I've been listening," Sam told them, "I'm just busy."

Sam was checking his emails. They were from his Stanford friends.

"You're kidding," Dean said, "You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

Dean and Sam continued their discussion about Sam's friends. Dean told Sam that he was lying to them because he hadn't disclosed what he really was doing on the road. He suggested that Sam cut everyone out of his life.

Darcy chimed in. "It kind of sucks but with a job like this, you can't get close to people," she said half heartedly. She kind of hoped that this conversation would be over soon. It was a speech that she knew all too well except for the roles being different. Uncle John was telling Darcy to cut her friends out of her life and Dean was the back up telling her that it was part of the job.

"You're both kind of antisocial," Sam retorted, "you know that?"

"Whatever," Dean said.

Sam exclaimed as he read his next email. Apparently a friend of his was arrested for murdering his girlfriend. He was set on driving to St. Louis. Dean tried to argue but Sam was set. After filling up, Dean turned the car around and they were heading to St. Louis.

**Becky's House**

Within a few hours Sam, Dean and Darcy were all standing on the porch of Sam's friend Rebecca. While he was greeting Rebecca, Darcy saw a look on Sam's face that she hadn't seen before, a real smile. She felt a little awkward standing next to Dean waiting for an introduction.

"Dean," Dean introduced himself, "older brother."

Darcy followed suit, "Darcy, estranged cousin."

"We're here to help," Sam told Rebecca, "whatever we can do."

Rebecca invited them in. Darcy was impressed by how nice a lace she had. Rebecca explained that it was her parents' house and she was just crashing for the long weekend. Now that her brother was in trouble she was taking the semester off.

Sam started asking for details on the case. Rebecca told them that Zach came home late one night and found his girlfriend beaten and dead. He called the cops and they arrested him. Rebecca swore that Zach was with her at the same time he was supposedly murdering his girlfriend but the police had video proof of him walking into his house at the same time.

Sam said that they needed to see the crime scene.

"What could you do?" Rebecca asked.

"Me not much," Sam lied, "but Dean here is a cop."

Dean and Darcy shared a glance before Dean began playing along. "A detective actually," he said.

"Really? Where?" Rebecca asked.

"Bisbee, Arizona," Darcy answered. Sam glanced back at her.

Rebecca reluctantly accepted Sam's offer to help with the case and left to get a key to her brother's house.

Now that they were alone, Dean told Sam that he didn't think that this was a 'supernatural' problem.

"I dunno Dean," Darcy said, "Two places at once? We've looked into less."

"Are you helping?" Dean asked.

**Zach's House**

As Darcy ducked under the 'Do Not Enter' tape, she got a really bad feeling. Dean, Sam and Rebecca were already inside. The place looked like it once was very decent. There was a definite suggestion of a woman's touch to the living room but everything was covered in blood. Sam turned to Darcy.

"Maybe you should just stay back here," Sam suggested quietly, "I mean Dean is supposed to be the 'cop.'"

Darcy nodded even though she was miffed by the request. She hung by the door and watched the dog going nuts next door and overheard Rebecca telling Sam that someone broke into this place a week before and stole clothing. She also said that Emily, the girlfriend, let her attacker in which suggested that she knew him/her. The dog hadn't stopped barking since they had arrived.

"You know, that used to be the sweetest dog," Rebecca said, walking up behind Darcy.

"What happened?" Darcy asked.

Rebecca shrugged, "He just changed."

"Do you remember when he changed?" Darcy asked.

"I guess around the time of the murder," Rebecca said.

Darcy nodded. "Will you excuse me for a moment?" she asked. She walked over to where Dean and Sam were talking. "So that dog outside," she began, "went psycho right around the time Zach's girlfriend got killed."

Sam shrugged and looked at Dean. "Animals can have a sharp sense of the paranormal."

"Maybe Fido saw something," Dean added.

"So now are you thinking maybe this is our kind of problem?" Sam asked him.

Dean still wasn't convinced but said they would pursue this like a case for now. He made a lame excuse to Rebecca about jurisdiction and asked for her to get the security tape. She already had it. Rebecca had stolen the tape right off the lawyers' desk.

**Rebecca's House**

Darcy and the Boys had been watching the surveillance video with Rebecca. Darcy was sure there was something there but she didn't know what. Sam must have seen something too because he made an excuse to get Rebecca away so they could talk. What Sam showed Dean and Darcy amounted to something that could be mistaken for an odd camera flare.

"Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zach's," Sam speculated, "something that is him but isn't."

"Like a doppelganger," Dean suggested.

"It would explain how he was two places at once and why the dog was freaking out," Darcy said, "I mean if it saw this thing."

**Motel**

It was 5:00AM and Sam was ready to get going on this case. He had woken Dean up and both were about to head out to look around Zach's house again. Darcy was still asleep as far as they knew. Dean had gone to wake her up but Sam told him not to worry about it and let her sleep.

After they left Darcy got out of her inflate-a-bed and continued the research she had began late the night before.

**Behind Zach's House**

Dean wasn't very happy about leaving Darcy behind but he hadn't pressed the issue. Sam had thought of something. He figured that that the killer came out the back door and there would be a trail to follow.

His suspicions were confirmed when he would blood on a pole. The trail ended pretty quickly.

The sound of police sirens distracted Sam. An ambulance came rushing past him and Dean. They shared a look then followed the ambulance.

**Outside the Second victim's apartment**

Sam looked around while Dean talked to the police. He came back with details that confirmed for him that this was definitely supernatural. He told Sam everything the patrolman told him.

"Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way," Sam said inquisitively.

"Could be the same thing doing it too," Dean said.

"A shapeshifter?" Sam asked.

"Every country in the world has a shapeshifter lore," Dean added, "legends of creatures that can transform themselves into other men."

After figuring out what it was, Sam told Dean that he followed an exit trail out of the building that disappeared, just like it did at Zach's house.

Dean looked down and saw a manhole. He suggested that the shapeshifter went underground.

**Motel**

The boys had gone underground and found shed skin of the shapeshifter. This confirmed that the creature was using the sewers to escape after it killed its victims. Since it was a shapeshifter the most efficient way to kill it was with a silver bullet.

Sam was on the phone with Rebecca. Dean called Darcy and asked her for a printout of the sewer system and to clue her in on what they found out. Darcy knew most of it already. She found a morning blog from one of the neighbors.

By the time the boys got to the motel Sam was pretty upset. Rebecca had busted him and Dean.

"I hate to say it," Dean said as they walked through the door, "but that is exactly what I am talking about. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you they'd be freaked. It'd be easier if…"

"If I was like you," Sam finished.

Darcy watched them both quietly. He understood where both of them were coming from. Dean didn't want his brother to be hurt. Sam didn't want to lose himself or anyone else he cared about.

"Hey man, like it or not," Dean continued, "we are not like other people but this whole gig, it ain't without perks." Dean held up a gun loaded with silver bullets.

Darcy grabbed the map she printed out and a flashlight. "It'll be dark soon. We should head underground. And this time you aren't ditching me."

**Sewer**

Darcy held the map of the sewer and a flashlight. Sam had taken point and Dean was covering the back. They had been in the sewer for at least half an hour. There were a few places that looked like they could be a lair.

"I think we're close to its lair," Dean said.

Darcy looked down at the map. "Why do you say that," she asked.

"Because there is another puke inducing bile next to your face."

Darcy looked up with her flashlight and saw the slimy gunk dripping down. It was sickening. They shined their lights around and found more piles of skin.

"Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with," Sam said.

"At least two before your friend," Darcy said, "I would the same M.O. for some murders earlier this year."

Sam turned to say something to Darcy but caught the shifter in the beam of his flashlight standing behind Dean.

It backhanded Dean, sending him shoulder first into a wall and onto Darcy.

Sam shot at the shifter then looked down at Darcy and Dean. "Get the son of a bitch," Darcy yelled.

Sam ran past them. Darcy helped Dean up and both followed.

**Above Ground**

Sam was the first out of the manhole and quickly hid his gun in his jacket. Dean was right behind him with an injured shoulder and Darcy followed soon after. They made a game plan to split up and Dean gave Darcy an extra gun he was carrying. Dean went one way. Sam the other and Darcy was going right up the middle.

**Later**

Darcy went down an alley and found a pile of gunk in the corner.

"Looks like it may have changed," Dean said from behind her, "It could be anyone now."

Darcy gripped the gun he had given her. She felt a chill up her spine. "You're right," she said, "it could be." Darcy turned with her gun to point it at what she knew wasn't Dean. She felt a sharp blow to her head.

"Dean didn't think you'd fall for it either," the shapeshifter said.

**Shapeshifter lair**

Darcy's head was pounding. She couldn't move her arms or legs. She was tied up. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Sam tied up across from her.

"Look whose joined the party," Shapeshifter Dean said. He was holding a bunch of rope.

Darcy looked across at Sam who was also awake now and angry. "Where is Dean?" Sam asked him.

"I wouldn't worry about him," the Shifter answered, "I'd worry about you."

"Where is he?" Darcy repeated.

The Shifter looked her in the eye, "You don't really want to know."

Darcy sneered at the Shifter which made him smirk. "I swear, the more I learn about you and your family…," he turned to Sam, "I thought I came from a bad background."

"What do you mean 'learn'?" Sam asked.

The Shifter touched his temple like he was having a migraine. "He sure has issues with you. You got to go to college. He had to stay home… I mean I had to stay home with dad. You don't think I had dreams of my own? But Dad needed me. Where the hell were you?"

"You're not Dean," Darcy said, "shut up."

"And you, the little sister we never wanted. You're quite the good little soldier. You tell D…me, everything. I'm your best friend. Oh if you knew the kind of information I have been keeping from you."

"Where is my brother?" Sam asked again.

"I'm your brother," the Shifter sneered, "See, deep down…I'm just jealous. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak. What do I have? Darcy? Dad? You? Sooner or later everyone is going to leave me."

"What are you talking about?" Darcy asked.

"Sam left. Hell I did everything Dad asked me to and ditched me too," the Shifter said, "He left me with your sorry ass. It's only a matter of time before you run off too."

The Shifter knew he's struck a cord with Darcy so he focused on Sam. "Still this job is not without its perks," he said, "I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Now you two play nice down here. I can't stand that you don't get along." The Shifter smirked and walked out of the lair leaving Darcy and Sam tied up.

**Later**

Sam and Darcy were devising a plan to get out of their ropes when they both heard coughing in the corner.

"That better be you Sam and not that freak of nature," Dean said.

Darcy chuckled. Sam told Dean that the Shifter went to Rebecca's looking like him.

"Well, he's not stupid," Dean said, "he picked the handsome one."

Dean broke free from his ropes while Darcy and Sam were telling him about the Shifter.

"He was becoming you," Sam said.

"It was like he was downloading your thoughts and memories," Darcy added.

"You mean like a Vulcan Mind Meld," Dean asked as he finished untying himself.

"Kinda," Sam said, "I mean maybe that's why he doesn't just kill us."

"Maybe he needs to keep us alive," Dean said, "for the psychic connection."

**On the Streets**

Dean, Sam and Darcy knew where the Shifter was going but they needed a plan. Sam suggested calling the cops but that would mean putting out an APB on Dean. That was the only plan they had. Less than ten minutes later a composite drawing of Dean was on the news and there was a manhunt in progress to find him.

They learned from the news reports that Rebecca was alive. Dean was ready to kick the Shifter's ass. Sam pointed out that they had no plan and no weapons.

"The car?" Darcy suggested.

"I'm betting he drove over to Rebecca's," Dean said.

"The news said that he fled on foot," Sam added, "I bet it's still parked there."

Dean was now angrier than before, realizing that the thing drove his car.

**Behind Rebecca's house**

Sam, Dean and Darcy ran down the back alley, turned the corner and saw the Impala sitting under the streetlight.

Dean let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," Dean said, "something went right tonight."

A second later the sound of police sirens and the flashing of red and blue lights came toward them from the alley. The three backtracked and found another squad car waiting for them. They had no way out.

"You guys go," Darcy said, "I'll deal with the police. I can meet you in the morning at "

"What?" Dean said.

"We don't know what Rebecca told them," Darcy said, "and they have no reason to hold me. Right Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Let her go," Sam said.

The boys disappeared over the fence as the police came up to Darcy.

**In an Alley**

Dean and Sam had procured the Impala after they were sure the police had completely vacated the area. Now that the sun was about to rise they were waiting for Darcy to meet up with them.

"Darcy will be fine," Dean said, "she's got a talent for BSing cops."

Sam checked his watch. "I'm going to Rebecca's," Sam said, "meet me there when Darcy gets back. And Dean, stay out of the sewers alone. I mean it."

After Sam walked out of view Dean went to work grabbing his gun and loaded it with silver bullets. "I'm sorry kids. You know me. I just can't wait."

Dean turned around and was face to face with Darcy. "You're right," she said, "I do know you but I'm not letting you run in alone."

"What'd you tell the cops?" Dean asked.

"I was lost on my home to my friend's house. She hooked up with a guy and left me dry but I didn't want to freak out her parents so I'd just like be dropped off around the corner."

"You kept it simple," Dean said sarcastically.

Darcy laughed.

"How do I know that you are Darcy and not that freak," Dean asked.

Darcy shrugged. "I guess you don't," Darcy said, "but I know you aren't and you are the only one with a gun."

"That seems fair," Dean said.

**In the Sewer**

Dean and Darcy made their way quietly to the Shifter's Lair. They found Rebecca tied up on the floor and untied her quickly. They had to get back to her place and save Sam.

**Rebecca's house**

Dean, Darcy and Rebecca heard a loud commotion in the house when they came up.

"You stay here with Rebecca," Dean ordered as he handed her a gun.

Darcy nodded and watched Dean go into the house. Two minutes later, she heard gun shots. Rebecca went running into the house followed by Darcy.

When she got inside, Darcy was shocked by what she saw. Sam was on the ground with the same look she was sure was on her face. In the corner was the Shifter, still looking like Dean. The real Dean had shot him in the heart. Rebecca ran to Sam as Dean knelt over his evil twin. Dean grabbed his necklace off of the Shifter.

**Later**

Dean and Darcy were plotting the course to Bisbee while Sam said goodbye to his friend.

Darcy heard Rebecca mention Jessica even though she was trying hard not to eavesdrop.

"It must be lonely," Rebecca said.

"Oh it's not so bad. Besides what can I do?" Sam asked. He looked over ad Darcy and Dean. "It's my family."

Rebecca hugged Sam and waved at Dean and Darcy.

**On the Road**

They were on their way out of St. Louis, Zach was going to be released within the day and everything seemed to end for the best. Dean was being blamed for the murders because the police found all kinds of evidence and his body.

"I wish things could be different for you," Dean said, "I wish that you could be Joe College."

"It's okay," Sam replied, "even at Stanford I really didn't fit in."

"Well, that's because you're a freak," Dean said.

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, thanks."

"Well, I'm a freak too," Dean told him.

"Me too," Darcy said smiling, "we're all in this together."

"I know we are," Sam said giving Darcy a smile.

Darcy had been thinking a lot about what the Shifter had said about their family but decided not to press the issue with the boys. Things were good now.


	8. Hookman

**Library of the Local Junior College in Calumet, Iowa**

Darcy, Sam and Dean were searching through old arrest records trying come up with a body to go with the spirit they were hunting. A local college girl and her boyfriend had been "parked" out on an old road and the boyfriend was killed and suspended over the car. It was just like the Hook Man urban legend. Dean had originally been excited about the hunt because he thought that they were going to be hunting an invisible man. Now after hours of boring records, all paper because they were not electronically catalogued, he was much less enthused.

Their only witness in the case was the daughter of a reverend named Lori. Darcy had already gained housing at Lori's sorority and Dean and Sam were staying at the frat house of the victim.

"Check this out," Sam said. He began reading the file of Jacob Carnes, a local preacher who murdered prostitutes with his hook for a hand. The murders took place on the stretch of road that the frat boy was killed on.

"Looks like we have a winner," Darcy said, "We should go see what we could dig up at that stretch of road."

Dean responded in agreement but Sam protested. "Don't you have curfew?"

Darcy looked at her watch and sighed. She was stuck by the rules of the sorority house which were so lame. If she didn't get in by curfew they would have to waste time and money getting her a motel room and Dean already wasn't too keen on her staying in a motel alone.

**In Front of Sorority House/ Sorority House**

Darcy was walking up to the house when she saw Lori pull up to the lot with her father. They were arguing. Lori got out of the car and stormed up the stairs to the house. Darcy waved to the Reverend and gave him a sympathetic smile. He seemed like an alright guy. He was just a bit of stick in the mud.

Darcy followed the steps up to the Sorority house. It was a little different not staying with the guys. She tried to think of it like the sleepovers she had back when she was "normal." She was glad that she ended up with a temporary roommate that liked to study late like Sam.

"Goodnight," she said as she climbed into her bed. She couldn't believe she was going to have to miss all of the action.

**Next Morning**

Darcy was up early and she had a bad feeling. The boys never called or texted her last night and weren't responding to her texts. There wasn't much she could do being stranded at this sorority house.

As she brushed her teeth a series of screams rattled through the hall. Darcy looked down the hall to see Lori run, freaking out, out of her room. She was saying that her roommate was killed and yelling about the blood. Other girls were already out of their rooms and trying to calm Lori down. One girl ran back to call the police. In the commotion Darcy was able slip away tried calling boys again.

"Hey Darcy listen-"began Dean, "What the hell."

"Dean you have to get the house right away. Lori's roommate just got slaughtered in her bed," Darcy told him.

"Yeah, I think the police are already on their way."

**Outside the Police Station**

"How do you know that?" Darcy asked, "Where are you?"

"Later," Dean said, "we'll be there in a second." Dean really didn't want to get into the details of his and Sam's arrest last night. Good old Andy Griffith stumbled on Dean and Sam while they were hunting and Dean spent all night talking them out of trouble. He gave the police a bogus story about fraternity hazing.

While Dean was answering the call from Darcy half of the precinct filed out of the building and rushed off, sirens wailing.

**Sorority House**

Darcy had evaded the evacuation and was waiting for the boys. She saw them stealthily move along the side of the building from a window. They were climbing up the wall and were suppose to go through a window next to Lori's room.

Darcy winched as the boys clattered about in the closet. There was an officer that was making a sweep who also must have heard the noise. He went into Lori's room again. Darcy thought quickly.

"Oops," she said as she dropped her cell phone to the ground.

The officer looked her and spoke gruffly, "what are you doing here? This is a closed crime scene."

"I know officer, but I had to come back for my cell before my parents saw the news and freaked.

They have no other way of getting a hold of me," she lied giving him the most innocent look she could muster, "The officer down stairs let me through when I explained."

The officer was not pleased and insisted on escorting Darcy out of the building giving Dean and Sam the crime scene to investigate.

**Behind the Sorority House**

Darcy waited for the boys by the Impala. When they reached the car Sam went straight for something in the front seat.

"So you guys are thinking spirit too right?" she said to Dean as Sam rummaged, "I could almost smell ozone in my room."

"It's the same symbol," Sam chimed in as he brought handed Dean and Darcy the Jacob Carnes file, "This symbol was carved under the statement 'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the lights."

"Yeah and that statement was right out of the Hook Man legends," Dean agreed, "so since it is likely the spirit of Carnes let's find the grave and salt and burn the bones."

"Easier said," Darcy replied.

Dean gave her a questioning look as Sam read that Carnes was buried in an unmarked grave.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Super."

All three hunters climbed into the car, trying to find a connection between the victims that would cause Carnes to come after them. The only answer they came up with was Sam's new friend Lori.

**Fraternity House**

Darcy walked into the Fraternity house and started looking for the boys. She squeezed her way through a group of drunken college students and saw Sam sulking on the couch. A quick glance toward where he was looking helped her find Dean. Dean was chatting up a freshman co-ed that Darcy recognized from the sorority house.

Sam saw Darcy and walked over to her the same time that Dean pulled himself from the co-ed.

"Man, you've been holding out on me," Dean said to Sam, "This college thing is awesome."

"This wasn't really my experience," Sam replied.

"Let me guess," Dean said, "Libraries, studying, straight A's."

Sam nodded. "What a geek," Dean said. He turned to Darcy, "Did you do your homework."

Darcy sighed and handed Sam the papers she was carrying. "As requested," Darcy explained, "Sam wasn't sure how Carnes connected to Lori…"

Dean began reading the list out loud. "These were clergymen who openly preached against immorality and then found each found himself wanted for killings that he claimed were the work of an invisible force. Killings that were carried out get this, with a sharp instrument."

"And the connection to Lori?" Sam asked.

"A religious man that openly preaches against immorality," Darcy lead, "expect maybe this time instead of saving the whole town he's just trying to save his only daughter."

"Reverend Sorensen," Dean agreed, "Do you think he's summoning the spirit?"

"Maybe," Darcy answered.

"Or do you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?" Sam suggested.

Darcy and Dean nodded. A poltergeist could latch onto the repressed emotions and feeds off of them without the Reverend even knowing.

"Either way," Dean said after a second of consideration, "you should keep an eye on Lori tonight."

"What about you guys?" Sam asked.

Darcy looked at Dean knowing full well what the other option was for the night. Dean had turned his attention to a hot co-ed by the pool tables. She nudged him. "We're going to see if we can find that unmarked grave."

Darcy grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him reluctantly away from the party.

**Graveyard**

"So why did you give Sam the 'babysit'?" Darcy asked as she and Dean searched through the graveyard. Each had a flashlight and a shovel and Darcy was carrying the pack with the salt, matches and lighter fluid.

Dean shrugged. "He likes her," he answered after a moment, "after Jess I think he needs to realize that it's okay to be attracted to someone else."

Darcy stopped and looked at her cousin with mild shock. "Wow Dean," she said, "that was really sweet and thoughtful."

"I have my moments."

Darcy turned her head. "I think we should look over here."

Dean followed her. Sometimes it was eerie how calm Darcy seemed to be in a graveyard.

Darcy stopped and looked around. She then turned her flashlight over to a single grave. "Here we go," she said shining her light on the symbol of Jacob Carnes. It was engraved on a tombstone.

Within two hours the two had worked their way through six feet of earth.

"That's it," Dean panted, "next time… I get to watch the cute girl's house."

"Agreed," Darcy said tossing the shovel aside and lifting herself out of the grave. She began preparing the stuff as Dean broke through the wooden coffin.

As Dean threw the match onto the salted, fluid covered bones Darcy gathered their things again so that there would be no trace of them.

As they exited the graveyard Dean told Darcy to call Sam, let him know that it was over. She had the phone in her hand when a call from Sam came through.

"You're ears must be ringing. I was-" Darcy started, "When?..We're on our way."

Darcy hung up the phone and told Dean to drive to the hospital. Lori's father was attacked by the Hook man after they had salted and burned the bones.

**Library**

Darcy waited outside of the hospital while Dean went in to get Sam. She was wracking her brain about how a ghost could still haunt after his bones were salted and burned and why it would go after the person who was controlling it. When the boys got back to the car they had come up with a new theory on the Hook man and answers for all her questions. It wasn't latching onto the Reverend's emotions but to Lori's. She had found out moments before that her father was having an affair. He was immoral to her, just like her boyfriend had been and the roommate. As far as why the guy was still around Sam figured that the hook was a part of Jacob Carnes. It wasn't in the grave when she and Dean did their thing so he still had a source.

Now the three hunters were back in the library searching through old records. Dean found Carnes's entry in a logbook from the Iowa State Penitentiary.

"His hook was given to the church that Lori attends and her father preaches at," Darcy said, "but don't you think someone would have seen the hook in the past 200 years?"

Sam had grabbed another book while Darcy and Dean were talking. It stated that the hook was reforged.

**St Barnabas Church**

That night the hunters drove up to the church. They were sure that no one would be there. The Reverend was still in the hospital and Lori was probably with him. Other than that nobody would be around till morning.

"We aren't taking any chances," Dean said, "anything silver goes into the fire."

Darcy nodded in agreement. They divided the chore into three. Sam took the house while Dean took the church itself and Darcy would get the fire going.

While Dean was throwing the last of what Sam found in the house into the fire the boards above them creaked.

"Someone is here," Darcy whispered.

Sam and Darcy went to check it out while Dean continued to burn the metal.

As Darcy and Sam peeked into the mail area of the church they was Lori weeping in one of the pews. Darcy nodded to Sam to go talk to Lori while she stayed back by the door. Sam handed Darcy his gun and went to Lori.

Darcy hung back for a second listening before deciding that this was too private a moment and returning to the basement. She felt a familiar chill before she shut the door and ran down to Dean for more ammo.

"I think we're about to have trouble," she told Dean as she grabbed the buckshot. Both looked up when they heard the sound of glass and wood breaking.

Darcy ran though the church. At the other end Sam and Lori were about to be attacked by Carnes. Darcy took aim but Sam was on the other side of the ghost. The salt would go through him as well. She finally found her moment when Carnes swiped at Sam's arm. She pulled the trigger as Carnes dissolved and watched Lori get dragged by the invisible force into another room. Sam and Darcy ran in after her.

"Is your arm alright?" Darcy asked. She began scanning the room for signs of the ghost. Sam was checking on Lori who seemed to be shocked and rightfully so. Darcy turned around when Sam went flying into the bookcase. The ghost had manifested behind her and caught her be surprise. She raised her gun to it and was thrown back as well. She landed just outside the doorway.

Carnes began skulking to Lori. Sam was getting up and preparing to distract him again when Dean's voice came booming in "Sam, drop," he ordered. Sam did so and Dean fired on the ghost.

"I thought you got all the silver," Darcy said sitting up.

"So did I," Dean responded.

"Then why is he still here?" Sam yelled.

"Maybe we missed something," Dean retorted.

Scratching sounds down the hall taunted them with the ghost's return.

Darcy looked at Lori, who was still freaking out. She notices a shine and pointed at her. Sam saw the shine too. Lori was wearing a silver necklace. She told them it was a church heirloom that her father gave her. Sam snatched it off of her and tossed it to Dean who tossed the second gun to Sam and some shots to Darcy.

Sam took aim and fired on the invisible ghost with his good arm. Darcy took point again as Sam reloaded. Carnes swatted the gun out of her hands and pushed her down between Sam and Lori.

Just when Carnes swung back to strike he started melting away at the hook. Within seconds he was gone for good.

**Next Day**

After Dean talked to the Sherriff and Sam was doctored up for the cuts on his arm there was nothing left to do in the town and the cops made it clear their time there was over. Sam said goodbye to Lori while Dean and Darcy waited in the Impala. Darcy sat back and observed Dean watching Sam and Lori.

When Sam got in the car Dean even offered that Sam could stay but Sam shook his head. He knew as well as Dean and Darcy that other people would need their help and they had to find their dad.


	9. Bugs

**Dive Bar**

Sam sat on the hood of the Impala waiting for Dean and Darcy to finally return from inside the slightly trashy bar they had chosen to hustle. He was looking through news clippings for a new hunting gig. He was reading about a guy who died on a construction site when his older brother came out. Dean was counting his cash with the biggest grin on his face.

"We could get day jobs every once and a while," Sam said.

Dean looked up from his cash. "Hunting is our day job and the pay is crap."

This brought Sam back to his moral speech. He felt that hustling pool and running scams wasn't honest.

"But it is fun and easy," Darcy replied as she skipped up behind Dean. Her stack of cash was slightly bigger than Dean's. "Though it is easier for some of us." She handed Dean her money. "Can we get back to the room so I can change? I feel like Daisy Duke." She was wearing a short shorts and tight shirt.

Dean sighed and all three hopped into the car. "So do we have a new gig or what?" he asked Sam.

Sam started telling them about a man who died of Human Mad Cow Disease on a job site.

"Mad Cow?" Dean asked, "Wasn't that on Oprah?"

"You watch Oprah?" Sam asked.

Dean clammed up.

"How is this our kind of thing?" Darcy asked, leaning forward to look at the article. Apparently the guy died within an hour from a disease that usually takes months or years to generate.

"That's weird," Dean injected, "Alright Oklahoma. Work, work, work, and no time to spend my money."

**Oklahoma Oasis Plains Development**

The three hunters split up. Sam and Dean would go to the power company and talk to the partner while Darcy looked around a bit at the scene.

Two hours later, they had met up and investigated the hole that the worker died in. Sam hadn't found anything except a few dead bugs.

Dean was skeptical about the angle but Sam reminded him that they needed more information.

Darcy pointed out an open house sign. "That would be a good place to start."

"I'm up for a little Bar-B-Que," Dean shrugged. Looking at Sam's scowl, "What we can't talk to the locals?"

"And the fact that there is free food has nothing to do with it?"

"Of course not," Dean replied, "I'm a professional."

"I could eat," Darcy replied.

Dean parked the car and they walked to the open house. Dean looked around at all of the "Perfect" houses and said, "Man growing up in a place like this would freak me out."

Sam and Darcy looked at him questioningly.

"The manicured lawns and 'how's your day honey?' I'd blow my brains out," Dean elaborated.

"There is nothing wrong with normal Dean," Sam replied.

"I'd take our family over normal any day," Dean responded.

Darcy looked again at the suburban neighborhood. She had grown up in a neighborhood like this one. It had been a while since she thought of her old house. She always had considered it to be a safe where nothing bad ever happened. Of course now she knew what lurked in all the shadows and that her safe little existence that was shattered so long ago had been false. A part of her could imagine going back to that. There were time when she wished she could be normal again but knowing all that she knew now she was sure that she couldn't go back to that.

**The Bar B-Que**

Dean and Sam had already rung the doorbell and were talking to the home owner. He hadn't seen Darcy and mistook the boys for being a couple. Dean stiffened up at the insinuation awkward insinuation. Darcy giggled as Sam explained that they were all siblings looking for a place for their father.

Larry Pike, the homeowner and developer of Oasis Plains, invited them inside. Darcy split off to get some drinks as Sam and Dean were introduced to Mrs. Pike and Linda Bloom "Head of Sales." She also assured the boys that Oasis Plains welcomed any sexual orientation. Dean gave her a fake smile and excused himself from the conversation. He signaled to Darcy who was having a conversation with some boy at the buffet. She begrudgedly walked over to him.

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"Why don't you go find us some comfortable accommodations for tonight," Dean suggested.

Darcy sighed and nodded, "Sure. I'll just go say bye to Matt."

Dean watched as Darcy went over to the boy she was talking to then went inside to Larry again.

**Empty House**

Darcy found her way into a show house and waited for Dean and Sam. She sent a message to Dean with the address and was expecting them within the hour. Soon she heard a vehicle pull into the driveway and park in the garage. She hid upstairs till she heard the familiar clank of Dean's work boots.

"So what do we know?" Darcy asked.

"'Uncle Dusty' wasn't the first victim," Dean told her, "Apparently one of the survey team died of bee stings last year."

"More bugs."

"More bugs," Sam stated.

Within minutes the three were hashing out clues and brainstorming. It wasn't ghosts but psychics were definitely on the list. Dean figured that Larry's son, Matt, could be behind all of this. He kept pet bugs.

"Matt doesn't really seem capable of something like that," Darcy stated.

"Face it Darcy," Dean teased, "your little boyfriend is the next Willard."

"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula," Sam added.

Darcy shrugged, "Anything is possible I guess."

**Next Morning**

Darcy got her own room that was designed to look like a little princess's room. She was sleeping peacefully till the sound of pounding across the hall tossed her from her sleep.

"You ever coming out of there?" Sam yelled. Darcy shuffled to the door and peeked out into the hall to see Sam at the bathroom door. "Dean a police call came in on the scanner. Someone was found dead three blocks from here. Come on."

Dean slipped his head out of the bathroom. "The shower is awesome."

Sam sighed in exasperation. He glanced down the hall and saw Darcy. "Get dressed we're going to check it out."

Darcy blinked a moment then did as Sam ordered.

**Outside/ Inside Linda Bloom's House**

Darcy and Sam were at the victim's house. Larry was on the phone. He hung up and talked to Sam for a moment. This was Linda Bloom's house. She was found dead this morning. Larry excused himself.

"You know what we have to do now right?" Darcy asked Sam.

"We have to get into that house," Sam answered.

Sam and Darcy made their way over the fence and up a terrace into an upstairs bedroom window. The first thing that Darcy saw amongst the broken glass was the police outline of Linda Bloom. The glass and a trail of blood lead up to the spot from the bathroom. If Dean had seen it he might have thought twice about his lovely steam shower.

Darcy slipped over to the bathroom and lifted a small towel from the ground. Ten spider carcasses trickled out of the folds.

**Oasis Plains**

"Spiders?" Dean repeated after Darcy and Sam filled him in. They had swung by to pick him up on their way back to the Pikes' house. "From Spiderboy."

"Matt," Darcy interjected.

"Maybe," Sam said with a shrug.

Dean pulled the car off the road near the bus stop. School had let out a bit ago and the big yellow bus was rolling down the street. The three watched as Matt got off the bus and started for a wooded area in the opposite direction from his house.

"Where is he going?" Dean asked as though either Sam or Darcy would have the answer.

**The Wooded area**

When they found Matt again he was coaxing a large bug off of a tree. Darcy motioned for the boys to stay back a moment.

"Hey Matt," she said walking over to him, "remember me?"

"What are you doing here?" Matt asked in surprise. He glanced behind her and saw Dean and Sam as the approached.

"We just want to talk to you," Dean replied.

Matt looked from one of them to another. "You're not here to buy a house are you?" He then asked if they were serial killers.

All of them laughed. "No, no I think you're safe," Sam answered.

There was an awkward silence which Dean took advantage of to change the subject. "So Matt," he said, "You sure do know a lot about insects."

"So?"

"Do you know what happened to Linda, the realtor?" Darcy asked him.

"I heard she died this morning," Matt answered.

Dean nodded, "That's right. Spider bites."

"Matt you tried to scare her with a spider," Sam led.

"Wait," Matt said defensively, "You think I had something to do with that?" He looked at Dean, Sam and lastly at Darcy.

"You tell us," she said.

Matt explained that the tarantula was a joke. He then pointed out that the accusations didn't explain the other bug deaths.

"You know about those?" Sam asked.

Matt led them to a clearing all the while explaining that he noticed a lot of strange bug activity.

"Why don't you tell your dad about all of this?" Sam asked, "Maybe he can clear everyone out."

"Believe me. I've tried," Matt said, "but _Larry _doesn't listen to me."

"Why not?" Darcy asked.

"Mostly," Matt sighed, "he's too disappointed in his freak son."

A strange smile crept onto Sam's lips. "I hear ya."

"You do?" Dean asked.

Darcy looked back at Dean and marked the noticeable scowl.

Sam had ignored it. "Matt how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Sam remarked that in two years he would be eighteen and could move away to college.

"The kid should stick with his family," Dean said. Darcy knew, even is Matt didn't that the statement was more for Sam than him. Darcy hadn't been around before Sam went to college but apparently there had been harsh words and high voices at every turn. Mostly between Uncle John and Sam.

Sam turned around like he was about to say something to Dean.

"How much further Matt," Darcy said in an effort to get the boys back on track.

"We're not far," Matt replied. He stopped at a clearing and the three hunters followed suit. All around them were the sounds of bugs going mad. Matt explained that he had been keeping track of bug populations for an advanced science class.

"You two are like peas in a pod," Dean said. Darcy knew what he really meant was that Matt was a geek. Matt explained that all kinds of bugs were congregating in the clearing and he didn't know why.

**Matt's House**

It didn't take the hunters long to uncover a grave just off from the clearing. The bones were definitely older and the plan was to take them to the local college's anthropology department.

Darcy was on a babysitting duty yet again. Actually Dean had decided that wasn't going to be much help as a college student so he asked her to stay with Matt and find out more about the bug stuff. Darcy figured it was because he didn't want to listen to it.

They were in Matt's room talking about the bug populations when Matt changed the subject. "So your cousin didn't seem too freaked out about the skull he dug up," he said trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

Darcy shrugged. "It's not the first skull we've had to deal with."

"We?"

"Yeah," Darcy said somewhat shyly, "The kind of stuff we do. You don't get freaked as easily."

"What do you do?" Matt asked.

"Job's vary," Darcy said vaguely, "I can't really go into detail."

"Are you like CIA?"

Darcy laughed, "No, we help people."

"Like my family," Matt stated, "are we in danger here?"

"I don't know," Darcy responded honestly, "but now that we're on the case, I don't think you should worry."

Matt nodded. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

**An hour later**, Sam called Darcy and brought her up to speed. The bones were Native American and boys were on their way to a reservation to talk to get more details about the bones. He would call back when they knew more.

"Okay," Darcy said into the phone, "thanks Sam."

Darcy hung up her phone just as Matt's mother announced dinner. Matt invited Darcy to stay.

"Only if I'm not imposing," Darcy replied.

After dinner Darcy definitely got the feeling it was almost time to go. Matt's parents weren't expecting her to stay the night and it was getting kind of late. Matt bought her some more time by saying they had a major project to finish. Darcy was clearing the dishes with Matt when the phone rang. Mr. Pike took the call in the other room.

"I know Travis. He's worked with us for years. Who is this?" Mr. Pike was speaking very sternly into the phone. He entered the living room where Darcy and Matt were reading and Mrs. Pike was watching the news. "Practical joker."

Darcy looked at Matt. Her phone rang. She went to the back yard to answer it. Matt followed her. While she was talking to Sam Matt noticed a small hole in the yard. He examined it a little more closely as hundreds of roaches crawled out.

"…you don't break a curse," Darcy said into the phone, "…you get out of its way." The boys had learned that Oasis Plains was once occupied by Native Americans who cursed the area and anyone who was on the land around this time of year was in danger.

"Darcy!"

Darcy turned around and saw the bugs. "Sam the backyard is calling with cockroaches." She hung up the phone and turned to Matt. "We have to get your parents out of here now."

**Later**

Dean and Sam had burned rubber to Matt's house.

"Damn it, they're still here," Dean said angrily, "come on."

Darcy came out from the corner. "Larry kicked me out,"

"Get off my property before I call the cops," Larry said coming out of his house. Matt was behind him.

All of them tried to make Larry listen but he was having none of it. He again ordered the three hunters to leave.

"Look, its 12:00 AM. They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go, before it's too late," Sam told him.

Matt stood his ground. "Dad, they're right, okay? We're in danger."

"Matt, get inside! Now!" Larry ordered.

"No! Why won't you listen to me?!"

"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!"

Sam was making a last appeal to Larry when Darcy heard a sound in the distance. "Wait," she said, "do you hear it?"

**Inside the house**

The only thing that had finally convinced Larry was seeing the swarms of bugs coming at his house. It was too late to run for it. Now they were stuck in a house, more specifically an attic of a house, swarming with bugs. There was no electricity, no phones and the bugs had completely blanketed the house. Termites were now eating through the roof and Dean was running out of flaming bug spray. Sam's theory was that they could outlast the curse if they survived until sunrise. That seemed to be their last option as the entire group huddled together under leather jackets and still getting stung repeatedly.

"Look!" Matt yelled.

The sun was peering through the new holes in the ceiling and the bugs were exiting rapidly. "Its sunrise?!" Darcy exclaimed. They had survived the curse through all odds.

**The next day**

Darcy and Sam insisted on saying goodbye to the Pikes before they left so Dean drove them back around to the house. There was a moving Van and the Pikes looked to be just about cleared. Mr. Pike assure them that he would do everything in his power to keep people off of the land.

Darcy said goodbye to Matt while the boys talked with his dad. They exchanged numbers and hugged before Sam came over to say his goodbye.

"You two want to be alone," Dean teased as Darcy leaned against the Impala.

"Shut up Dean," she replied.

Sam joined them at the car. "I wanna find Dad. I just…I want to apologize to him.

"For what?" Dean asked.

"All the things I said to him. He was just doin' the best he could."

"Well, don't worry, we'll find him. And then you'll apologize. And then within five minutes, you guys will be at each other's throats."

The brothers laughed. Darcy was glad that the boys seemed to be back to their usual conversation. They all got into the car and headed out Oasis Plains.


	10. Home

Before reading this you might want to read "the Beginning" from the prequel line

**Gas Station in Lawrence, Kansas**

The hunters were in Lawrence, Kansas because Sam was having dreams about something attacking a family in the Winchesters' old house. They had already been to the house and there were definite signs of a haunting. The little girl said she had seen a figure on fire. The whole thing had freaked the boys out. Dean was the worst. He had resolved never to come back to Lawrence and then having to deal with being in the house his mother died in. Plus his brother was now having "weirdo visions" as he put it.

Dean was putting gas in the Impala. He and Sam had been shouting at each other since they left the house. Darcy was tired of it. "If this was any other job what would you do?" Darcy asked the distressed brothers. She was the only one there who could be objective. She did care about the situation but her Aunt Mary died years before she was born.

Sam sighed. "We'd try to figure out what we were dealing with," he answered, "we'd dig into the history of the house."

"Exactly," Dean continued, "but this time we know what happened."

Sam wasn't so sure about that. "How much do you actually remember?"

Dean was only four years old but you don't forget a night like that. Dean told Sam that he felt the heat of the fire and carrying Sam out of the house. Both Sam and Darcy were surprised. Neither had ever heard that. It wasn't like that night was a high talking point for the family. All the brothers had to go on was Dean's memories and their father's vague story. He hadn't discussed his theories with the boys.

They knew that if they wanted to know what they were dealing with they would have to figure out what happened back then. It was going to be a lot harder than any other job. They were invested in this. Darcy leaned against the side of the car holding her left arm. She had fallen over a toy car. Her wrist had been throbbing ever since.

Dean excused himself and Darcy went over to Sam. "We have to talk to Uncle John's old friends around here. Didn't he own a garage?"

**Car**

Darcy waited with the car around the corner while the boys went to get information about their dad. The cop cover was a lot easier with only two older guys. She would just be in the way. She started thinking about the Winchesters' old house. It had been rebuilt but the layout was the same. Darcy had never been in the house before today but she knew that. She remembered it from her dream nearly four years ago. She hadn't thought about that dream in years and hadn't had any more since she joined up with Dean and Uncle John. Now Sam was having visions about the house.

She was going over her dream, trying to remember details, when her phone rang.

"Darcy," said the deep husky voice on the phone.

"Uncle John?" Darcy replied.

"I need you to do something for me," John Winchester told her.

**Missouri's House**

Darcy had been shocked to hear from Uncle John but managed to keep quiet about it. She had promised not to mention the call to the boys but to help steer them in the right direction. The first part of that plan was to get them to a psychic named Missouri Mosley.

The boys made that job easy when they returned from the Garage. They wanted to look for the psychic their dad went to twenty years ago. Darcy read out a few names from the phonebook then said Missouri's name. Dean picked up on it and found an entry about her in Uncle John's journal.

Now they were in Missouri's waiting room.

"Sam, Dean, Darcy, come on. I ain't got all day," Missouri called. They looked at each other and followed the woman into her living room.

Missouri seemed to know a lot. Darcy was certain she was legit with Uncle John's recommendation and the stuff that she knew about all of them. Missouri had no problem speaking her mind or putting Dean in his place.

"Sam," Missouri said, grabbing Sam's hand. She gasped, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry about your girlfriend… and your father. He's missing."

Missouri glanced at Darcy for just a second before focusing on Sam again. "How'd you know all that?" Sam asked.

Missouri answered him calmly, "You were just thinking it, just now."

Dean was shocked too. He pressed her for a location. "Boy, do you see me sawing some boney tramp in half?" she asked, "You think I'm a magician? I may be able to sense thought and read energies in a room but I can't just pull facts out of thin air. Sit."

Dean was speechless but Sam and Darcy ad definitely been entertained. The entertainment doubled when Missouri threatened Dean for putting his feet on the coffee table before he had time to do it. "Well you were thinking about it."

Missouri told the three about when John first came to her. It was a few days after the fire. She told him what was really out there. She knew a little about what killed the boys' mom. She went to the house to sense the echoes. She didn't know what it was but it was evil. She had kept an eye on the place ever since but it had been quiet until recently.

Sam told Missouri that all of the things that happened recently like their dad missing, Jess's death and the house, led him to believe that something was starting.

"That's a comforting thought," Darcy replied.

After the visitors left Missouri went straight to the phone. She asked the boys and Darcy to give her an hour to cancel the rest of her appointments. Then she would meet them at the house. Missouri began dialing.

"Hello Missouri," said the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello John," Missouri replied, "I just had a visit from your boys."

**Winchester House**

The boys, Darcy and Missouri returned to the house and asked Jenny if they could come in again and look around. She was a bit flustered when she answered the door but Missouri calmed her and told her they were there to stop the thing in her house. Missouri and the hunters were now in the daughter's bedroom.

Dean switched on the EMF reader. Missouri sensed a dark energy. "This room should be the center of it," she told them.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"This used to be your nursery, Sam," Darcy answered.

Missouri nodded. "This is where it all happened."

"How did you know that?" Dean asked Darcy.

Darcy shrugged. "It was kind of obvious."

Dean was about to ask another question when Missouri interrupted. "Is that an EMF?"

Dean looked from Darcy to Missouri. "Yeah,"

"Amateur," Missouri retorted as she walked around the room. She was trying to get a read on the energy. "I don't know if you should be disappointed of relieved but this ain't the thing that took your mom."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, "How do you know?"

"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here," Missouri answered, "It's something different."

Missouri told them that there were two spirits in the house. Mary's violent death all those years ago attracted them to the house. They were infections in the 'wounds' that the evil left behind. The first spirit was a nasty poltergeist that wanted to kill Julie and her children. The second energy was being muted by the first making it hard to read.

"Well, one thing's for damn sure," Dean said, "no one else is dying in this house ever again."

Darcy turned to Missouri. "So whatever is here… how do we stop it?"

**Missouri's House**

Missouri took Darcy and the boys back to her place where she had a vast collection of items that could cleanse a house.

Darcy and Dean sat at the kitchen table filling hex bags.

"What are we suppose to do with these?" Darcy asked as she sprinkled graveyard dirt onto the cloth.

Missouri explained that they had to put a bag in each of the four walls at the north, south, east and west corners on each floor of the house. This would drive the spirits out and purify the house. They would have to work fast, each taking a floor, because when the spirits figured out what they were doing things would get bad.

**The House**

Within a few hours everyone was back at the house. Missouri told Jenny to take her children and leave for a while. When she got back all would be right again.

Then each set to work, punching holes in the wall and dropping the hex back inside. Missouri took the attic, Darcy and Sam had the second floor and Dean had the first floor.

Darcy had just put her second and last hex bag into the wall of the little boy's room when she felt something soft strike her head. She looked down and saw a stuffed bear. Another stuffed animal hit her. She looked up just in time to see the baby's monitor fly in her direction. She caught the monitor on her forehead and fell to the ground. The crib came rolling toward her. She dodged it and crawled to the door. That room was just plain weird. A lamp broke in the room Sam was supposed to be in. Darcy ran into the room and saw Sam with a cord around his neck.

"Sam," Darcy exclaimed. She ran to him and tried to pull the cords from his neck but the poltergeist was strangling him.

Dean ran in and looked intent on helping Darcy yank the cord from Sam's neck. "The Hoo Doo bag," Darcy told him.

Dean grabbed the bag, kicked a hole in the wall and stuffed the bag into it. Immediately, a blinding white light shot though the room.

Darcy felt the cords loosen and started to untie it from Sam's neck as Dean ran up to them. He grabbed Sam and hugged him as they all tried to catch their breaths.

**Moments later**

The poltergeists were gone and the house was a mess. Things were broken and overturned in every room.

"Are you sure this is over?" Sam asked as the four assessed damages in the kitchen.

"I'm sure," Missouri said, "Why do you ask?"

Sam shrugged it off. "It's nothing I guess."

Lights came on in the hallway leading to the kitchen. "Hello," called a voice, "we're home."

Darcy tried her best to give Jenny and the kids a smile that said "nothing is wrong, nothing to see here" but it was hard when the kitchen was in such a shambles. She stood next to Dean, who from the best of her knowledge was attempting the same feat. At least until Sam offered to pay for damages. His stance change noticeably. Even though they rarely came by money legally, Dean hated parting with it for any reason not involving a motel, food or beer.

"Don't worry. Dean is going to clean up this mess," Missouri said before turning to Dean, "Well, what are you waiting for boy. Get the mop."

Dean passed Darcy grumbling. "And don't cuss at me." Dean stopped and looked from Missouri to Darcy before continuing toward the broom closet.

**Later that night**

Darcy and the boys dropped Missouri off at her house after they cleaned up Jenny's kitchen but Sam wasn't ready to mark the adventure off just yet. He convinced Dean to drive back to the old house and stake it out. They had all been there a few hours. Darcy fell asleep in the back seat.

"What are we still doing here?" Dean asked Sam.

"I don't know," Sam answered, "I still have a bad feeling."

"Why?" Dean asked. As far as he was concerned the whole thing was over.

Sam agreed but still wanted to be reassured.

"Yeah," Dean sighed, "problem is I could be sleeping in a bed right now." He leaned back his seat and closed his eyes. They immediately shot open when Sam shook him. He looked at the house and saw Jenny banging on the window in terror.

Darcy was up too. They all dashed toward the house.

"You get the kids, I'll get Jenny," Dean told them.

Darcy got the little boy and met up with Sam at the top of the stairs. When they reached the bottom Sam stopped her and put Sari down beside her. "Take them outside," he ordered. Sam was pulled back by an invisible force.

"Sam!" Darcy yelled. She got Sari and Ritchie out the door and attempted to turn back to help Sam but was pushed out by strong force. She landed hard on her side.

Dean came running past her toward the house but the door was shut fast. He turned back, went to the trunk of his car and grabbed an axe and a shot gun.

Darcy was up and limping slightly but ready for whatever was coming next. She figured that Dean would toss her the shotgun and was surprised when he tossed her the axe. She began hacking at the door. Inside, they could both hear clattering and muted groans of pain.

Darcy continued hacking and made short work of the front door. Dean ran inside with the shotgun screaming for Sam. Darcy was behind him. They found Sam pressed against a wall with a fire engulfed figure slowly moving toward him.

Dean raised his gun but Sam told him not to fire.

"What, why?" Dean asked, not putting his gun down.

"Because I know who it is," Sam said calmly, "I can see her now."

In an instant that shocked Dean and Darcy both, the flames around the figure disappeared revealing Mary Winchester just as she was the night she died.

"Aunt Mary?" Darcy murmured as the figure looked at her. The figured looked exactly like what she remembered from her dream. Mary gave her a small smile.

"Mom?" Dean said as he lowered his gun and Mary walked to him.

"Dean" she said. She then turned her attention to her youngest son. "Sam," she said with a somber voice, "I'm sorry."

Sam tried to talk to his mother but she didn't say any more to them. Instead she addressed an invisible figure overhead. She told it to leave and let go of Sam. Then she burst into flames again and disappeared in a loud screech.

Darcy stepped forward as Sam was released from the wall. The force holding him there was no longer around. All three looked at each other and tried to process what just happened.

"Now it's over," Sam stated.

**Winchester House- Next day.**

Dean was talking with Jenny about some old photos she found of the Winchester family. Sam was talking with Missouri about what had happened the night before. He wanted to know if his mother was still there as well as other things. Missouri told him that his mother's spirit sacrificed herself for them and they canceled each other out.

Darcy was upstairs in Sam's old nursery taking one last look before they left. She looked through the window and saw Dean signal her down. She nodded and quickly made her way out of the house.

"Sam," Dean called, "you ready?"

Sam walked over to the car as Darcy walked out the door. She hugged Jenny and the kids. She winced a little as the kids squeezed her bruised hip but managed to smile. Then she went over to Missouri and hugged her as well before turning toward the car.

"You kids don't be strangers," Missouri called as the hunters piled into the Impala.

"We won't," Dean replied.

**In the Car**

After a few minutes of silence Darcy spoke up. "We're not going to talk about this are we?" she asked. She didn't bother making eye contact with either brother.

"Nope," Dean said returning to his rather stoic self.

Darcy nodded thoughtfully then replied, "good," before sinking into the seat and closing her eyes. She had a lot of questions about the night before and other things but she didn't want to slip up and tell Dean or Sam that she had talked to their dad.

Dean gave her a questioning glance from the rearview mirror but she was already pretending to sleep. He glanced at Sam and shrugged.


	11. Asylum

**Motel**

Darcy sat on the far bed of the motel room reading a demonology book, Dean was scanning through his dad's journal again and Sam was calling contacts.

"No, Dad was in California last we heard from him," Sam was telling Caleb.

Darcy inhaled sharply and tried to ignore the conversation. She had managed not to tell Dean about talking to Uncle John in Kansas. She wasn't sure where he was when they talked but she did try to avoid the subject. She could lie effectively to a stranger but not to Dean. He would kill her if he found out she had gotten a tip off from Uncle John to go to Missouri Moses. Kill wasn't the right word but it wasn't going to be a picnic if he found out.

Sam sighed a "thanks" and hung up the phone.

"Caleb hasn't heard from him?" he asked but it was almost a statement.

It wasn't surprising that he hadn't. Sam called a few other contacts before Caleb and they had all been dead ends. Uncle John knew better than to contact the people that Sam and Dean would think to call. Darcy knew he had an extensive network and he had only shown Darcy and Dean the bare minimum. The same contacts that Sam knew too. John didn't want to be found so he wouldn't be.

Darcy rolled her eyes as Sam suggested they call the feds. Dean made his usual argument and they began a discussion that they had already gone through many times. Darcy was about to go for her mp3 player when Dean's phone began ringing. Darcy hoped that would interrupt them but they continued.

"You said so yourself, you tried to call him, and nothing," Sam said to Dean.

Dean started rummaging through his clothes for his phone. "I know. Where the hell is my cell phone?"

"You know, he could be dead for all we know," Sam said.

Darcy, frozen in shock and anger, interrupted him. "Don't say that," she said.

Dean reacted the same time. "He's not dead. He's…he's…" Dean didn't have an alternative.

"He's what? He's hiding? He's busy?" Sam retorted.

Darcy handed Dean the phone. He looked at it and mumbled to himself, "I don't believe it."

"What?" Sam and Darcy said together. Dean's sat on the end of the bed and Darcy changed positions and leaned over his shoulder to look at the phone.

"It's a text message," Dean answered, "Coordinates."

Dean immediately set into action. He checked the coordinates, and found a location. He was still typing on the computer when Sam finally spoke again.

"You think Dad was texting us?" he asked. His tone sounded like he didn't fully believe it.

"He's given us coordinates before," Darcy reminded him as she deflated her sleeping air mattress.

Sam turned his impatience to her. "The man can barely work a toaster, Darcy," he retorted.

"No, he could barely work a toaster three years ago," Darcy corrected. She flinched as the irritation leaked from her tone. She was tired of Sam's pessimism.

"Sam, this is good news," Dean informed him, "It means he's okay."

"Or alive at least," Darcy added in a mumble, not wanting to raise her hopes too high.

Sam ignored her this time. "Was there a number on the caller ID?" he asked Dean.

There was no number of course but the coordinates pointed to Rockford, Illinois. The local papers had a recent story that would have peaked the interest of any ghost hunter who scanned it. Dean recognized the location from a page in his father's journal.

"I think this is where he wants us to go," Dean stated.

Darcy went to the bathroom to start packing up in there.

Sam was exasperated. "This is a job," he said, "Dad wants us to work a job."

"I mean maybe we'll meet up with him," Dean replied with a hint of hope in his voice, "Maybe he's there."

Of course he wasn't but Sam and Dean didn't speak to each other for a good portion of the ride after their fight over the chances that their dad was actually there. Dean's standpoint was that if their dad sent them there that was good enough. Sam thought they shouldn't waste time whether that was what his dad wanted or not. Darcy sat in the back seat texting with Matt and ignoring them both.

**Rockford, IL**

Eventually they got into Rockford and had to make plans. Dean dropped Darcy off at the motel to check them in and start laundry which she begrudgingly agreed to mostly because the boys were almost out of clean clothes. The boys would go check around for information.

When the boys returned it was very dark outside. Dean filled Darcy in on what Sam found out. The next step would be to go to the asylum and check it out.

Darcy looked wearily at the blackness in the window and hoped that they were going to wait until morning for that part. Dean glanced at the window as well. "In the morning of course," he answered her worried expression.

**The Asylum**

Darcy and the boys were at the asylum gate early the next morning. The cops had chased a group of teenagers that broke into the South Wing. Dean checked his dad's journal again.

"In 1972 three kids broke into the South Wing," Dean read, "only one survived."

"The way the article put it," Darcy said, "one of the dudes went nuts and started lighting up the place."

The South Wing was the heart of what was going on. A closer look at the door showed that until recently, the entrance had been chained. Whether it was to keep people out or keep something in was uncertain but this was where they had to begin their investigation.

Dean wasn't getting any readings on his EMF but that didn't mean much.

"Ghosts can appear at certain hours of the day," Sam speculated.

"Yeah the freaks come out at night," Dean replied.

Darcy started humming noiselessly. She silently cursed her cousin because the song would be stuck in her head for the rest of the night. They were both a little ways ahead of her down the hall, Dean ribbing Sam as always, but Darcy had slowed a little. She thought about looking in one of the other rooms but was far too weirded out by the place.

She caught up with the boys as Dean made a pop culture reference that few people would get. This room was really creepy. There were torturous gadgets throughout the room that had once passed for psychological aides.

"So what do you think?" Dean asked, looking around, "ghost possessing people?"

"Maybe it's more like Amityville or the Smarl Haunting," Sam suggested.

"Spirits driving them insane," Darcy agreed.

"Kind of like my man Jack in the Shining," Dean joked again.

Sam wasn't in the mood. "Dean, when are we going to talk about it?" he asked in a tone that made Darcy cringe.

Dean didn't see it coming but Darcy was already out the door. She wasn't going to listen to this again. On her way out she tripped over a plate that said Chief of Staff Sanford Ellicott on it. This was where they would have to go next.

**In Town**

Dean and Darcy waited outside of the Creekview Medical Center for Sam to get out of his appointment with Dr. James Elllicott. It was decided that of the three of them he was most likely to get the information.

"What is taking so long?" Dean mumbled impatiently.

"Sessions are usually an hour, Dean," Darcy answered, "He's only been in there twenty minutes.

Sam emerged at the end of the hour and relayed all the information. The asylum was home to the worst of the insane and after a riot in 1964 it closed down for good. The entire thing was so gory and bad that some of the bodies were never found. This included the Chief of Staff, Ellicott.

**Asylum, Night**

While investigating the South Wing that night, a spirit cornered Darcy. Dean shot it with a salt gun before it got too close but Darcy speculated that the ghost had acted strange. Soon Sam, Dean and Darcy stumbled upon Gavin and Catherine two teenagers that were maybe a year older than Darcy. They had thought that it would be fun to see ghosts. Gavin had an encounter with a ghost as well. A girl ghost kissed him and tried to tell him something but he was so scared that he ran from it. They rest of them had split up to find him. Darcy and Sam went one way while Dean and Cat went another.

Catherine had been pulled into a room by a ghost and was not trapped in there with it. Dean was trying to pry the door open when Sam, Darcy and Gavin ran down the hall. When apprised of the situation Sam yelled through the door for Cat to calm down and listen to the ghost. She screamed her reluctance for the plan but Sam insisted that it would let her go if she listened.

There was a moment of silence, then the door opened. A bewildered Catherine came out and repeated what the ghost told her. A room number. 137.

Dean set out to go examine the room while Sam and Darcy took the teenagers out.

Sam and Darcy soon learned that this plan was flawed. Something evil would not let them exit. Darcy stayed with the teenagers while Sam looked around for an escape.

"Dean," she answered her phone as Sam got back to their group with news that he had no luck with the other exits. She handed the phone to Sam.

"So now what are we going to do?" Gavin asked.

"For starters, we aren't going to panic," Darcy answered,

Gavin looked at her, "Why the hell not?"

"I'm on my way," Sam said before hanging up the phone to talk to Darcy, "Dean's in the basement. I'm going down to help. Stay with these two."

**Thirty minutes later**

Dean came down the hall following the sound of the two teens talk. He heard them quiet down quickly and the clicking of a shotgun being cocked.

"Darc?" he called.

"Dean?" Darcy lowered the shotgun.

"What are you still doin' here? Where's Sam?" Dean asked joining the others.

"He went to the basement," Gavin answered, "after you called."

Dean swore that he never called anyone. Darcy told him that she had been sure it was him.

"Either of you know how to handle a showgun?"

Kat took the gun and cocked it. "I can."

They left a shotgun with the teens and followed after where Sam went.

**Another Part of the asylum.**

Dean and Darcy called for Sam and heard no response.

Darcy rounded the corner, saw nothing and turned around, almost right into Sam.

After catching her breath she said, "Dude, Dean and I were calling you."

"Man! Answer me when I'm callin' you," Dean called as he joined them, "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You know that wasn't me who called your cell, right?"

Sam replied with an affirmative and speculation that he was lured.

Dean began explaining what he found out from Ellicott's journal. The spirits were trying to tell them that they were tortured into rage. The patients rioted because of the torture.

"So I'm thinkin', what if his spirit is doin' the same thing? To the cop, to the kids in the seventies –- making them so angry they become homicidal. Come on. We gotta find his bones and torch 'em."

Darcy agreed with Dean and followed him toward the procedure room, with Sam behind them. Dean already figured that that the patients hid the body in a hidden procedure room that the Doctor experimented in.

Sam stopped, "I don't know. It sounds kind of—'

"Crazy?" Darcy suggested.

Sam hesitated, "Yeah."

"Yeah, exactly." Dean agreed, oblivious to Sam's mood. Darcy wasn't. She hung by the door and let Sam follow Dean into the room to look for the hidden door.

"I told you, I looked everywhere. I didn't find a hidden room," Sam said.

Dean sarcasticly replied, "Well, that's why they call it hidden."

Darcy heard a very faint sound and pointed it out to the boys. "You hear that?"

"What?" Sam asked though the sound was not so faint he couldn't hear it. Dean heard it and found the door. "Dean," Sam said in a low voice. Dean turned to look at him, confused. Sam's nose began to bleed, "Step back from the door."

Dean stood up. Darcy stood in the doorway with a look of shock. She saw Sam's gun twitch.

"Sam, put the gun down," Dean said with forced calm.

"Is that an order?" Sam asked in a still angry tone.

Dean tried to stay light, "No, it's more of a friendly request."

Sam aimed the gun at Dean, "Cause I'm gettin' pretty tired of takin' your orders."

"Sam!" Darcy finally said, "I knew it. Ellicott did somethin' to you, didn't he?" Dean held a hand up to her so that she knew to stay back.

"For once in your life, just shut your mouth," Sam said pointing the gun to her.

"Sam, do not point that gun at Darcy," Dean yelled. Sam pointed the gun at Dean again.

"What are you gonna do, Sam? The gun's filled with rock salt. Not gonna kill me."

Sam fired the shotgun, "No. But it'll hurt like hell."

Darcy screamed as Dean fell back but quickly regained some composure when Dean started moving, "Sam! We gotta burn Ellicott's bones,

"Yeah and all this'll be over. You'll be back to normal."

Sam paced addressing Dean. "I am normal. I'm just tellin' the truth for the first time. I mean, why are we even here? Because you're following Dad's orders like a good little soldier? 'Cause you always do what he says without question? Are you that desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking, Sam."

"That's the difference between you and me. I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic like you or you even." He acknowledged Darcy again.

"So what are you gonna do, huh? You gonna shoot me too? Kill us both?" Darcy asked, "Does that sound like the plan of a sane person, Sam?"

"You know what? I am sick of doing what Dean tells me to do. We're no closer to finding Dad today than we were six months ago," he retorted.

"Well, then, here. Let me make it easier for you," Dean said from the ground, "Darcy give him your gun.

Darcy looked at Dean in shock and confusion but obeyed. Sam had the same look of confusion.

"Go on. Take it, Sam. Real bullets are gonna work a hell of a lot better than rock salt. Take it!" Dean challenged.

Sam dropped the shotgun and turned the pistol to his brother.

"You hate me that much? You think you could kill your own brother? Then go ahead. Pull the trigger," Dean continued, "Do it!"

Sam pulled the trigger but nothing happened. He tried again. While Sam fiddled with the unworking pistol, Dean took his advantage and knocked Sam down and out. "Sorry Sammy."

Darcy stood back, in shock. Dean got up in pain and walked to his cousin. "Darcy snap out of it. Like you said, we gotta find the body."

Darcy nodded and began looking for the body with Dean. They found the rotting corpse shoved in a cabinet. Darcy handed Dean the salt and lighter fluid. She heard something to her left that she thought was Sam waking up. The pain of the table crashing into her struck her as hard as the surprise of it moving. She flew a few feet and sat up in time to see the ghost of the doctor grab Dean by the neck.

Dean was able to find his lighter in his pocket as the ghost began shocking him. The ghost burst into flames and then disintegrate into cloth and dust.

Sam woke up.

"You're not gonna try to kill me, are you?," Dean said. Darcy went to help him up.

"No."

"Good. Because that would be awkward," Dean replied.

**Next Morning**

Katherine and Gavin were grateful to the hunters for helping them and vowed never to go into a haunted asylum again.

Darcy took her usual seat in the back of the Impala and stretched out.

"Hey, Dean," she head Sam say, "I'm sorry, man. I said some awful things back there.

"You remember all that?"

"Yeah. It's like I couldn't control it. But I didn't mean it –- any of it."

Darcy scoffed quietly and turned over.

"You didn't, huh?" Dean asked skeptically. He believed as much as Darcy did.

"No, of course not," Sam replied sincerely, "Do we need to talk about this?"

"No. I'm not really in the sharing, caring kind of mood. I just wanna get some sleep," Dean returned with all his bravado. They got in the car. "Though you might want to apologize to Darcy when she's done pretending to be asleep."

**Motel**

All three hunters were sacked out after the all nighter that they just completed.

A phone rang, blaring out rock music as it vibrated.

"Dean," Sam said,

No response.

":Dean," Darcy tried from her mattress across the room, "answer your phone."

Finally Sam answered. "Hello…Dad?"


	12. Scarecrow

**Motel**

All three hunters were sacked out after the all nighter that they just completed.

A phone rang, blaring out rock music as it vibrated.

"Dean," Sam said,

No response.

"Dean," Darcy tried from her mattress across the room, "answer your phone."

Finally Sam answered. "Hello…Dad?"

Dean and Darcy both perked up at the mention of John. Dean asked for the phone but Sam was arguing with the receiver. Finally Dean took the phone.

"Dad, it's me. Where are you?" he asked desperately, "…yes sir." He charaded to Darcy to hand him a pen and paper.

After writing down the names, Dean began to say something else then stopped. "Why would we… Yes sir."

**Outside a house**

"Would you rather stay with Pastor Jim?" Dean asked.

Darcy turned her head back to him and sourly answered, "No."

"Then stop pouting," Dean said, ignoring her mood, "you know this is Dad's orders. You can't come." Dean handed her the duffle that contained her clothes and a few hunting essentials.

She took it willingly but not happily. She hated that she was being excluded from the hunt. She said her goodbyes to Dean and to Sam who opted not to even get out of the car. He was looking at the files they had pulled up on the list that John had given them after banning Darcy from the trip.

"You take care of her, Caleb," Dean called.

When the boys drove off in the Impala, Darcy began to envision the good of this. She would finally get some peace from the bickering. She turned to the gangly man, leaning on a crutch, that waited for her on the porch.

"Hey. What do you say we cook up some real food," Caleb suggested as Darcy put her stuff down in the living room. "I remember what Hunter cuisine is like and I'll bet you could use a break from burgers."

This made Darcy smile. She actually liked hanging out with Caleb. He was around Dean's age and the son of a hunter, Harvey Francis Bingham, a friend of John's. Though Caleb wasn't a hunter, he did know his stuff and was a supplier for the few hunters that knew of him. He himself never became a hunter because of a bum leg that kept him from a lot of the physical work involved.

Caleb put the plate of spaghetti in front of Darcy. The meal that Caleb served was phenomenal. Darcy was sure that the hint of heaven in the taste only existed because she hadn't had a home cooked meal in so long but that didn't stop her from savoring every bite.

She and Caleb caught up on different stories all through dinner, when Darcy would stop eating for a moment here and there. She told them about Sam and Dean's constant bickering, which didn't seem to surprise Caleb and the different hunts they have been on. After helping Caleb with the dishes Darcy went up to one of the guest rooms and unpacked a few things.

**Burketsville, Indiana**

It had been a while since Dean had left his younger brother on the side of the road, hell bent on chasing after their dad. Sam still hadn't called. Dean was very torn about continuing on with his way or turning around to go look for his stranded brother.

He pulled into a parking space and took out his phone, scanning down the preprogrammed numbers to "Sam's Mobile". He considered a moment, hovering over the send button.

**Caleb's House**

Darcy's phone rang. It was Dean. She was still mad at the boys for ditching her, orders or not. Finally she decided to answer. "There already? How's the job looking?"

"Just got here," Dean answered. His tone was angry and upset. Darcy guessed that he and Sam were fighting again.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She already expected the answer.

"Nothing," Dean hedged, "Sam..."

"Sam and you are fighting again? That's a shocker," Darcy replied skeptically, "And Sam's giving you the silent treatment. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be calling me."

Dean didn't respond.

"Why did you call Dean?" Darcy replied more seriously, "What's wrong?"

"He isn't with me. He wanted to go after Dad. Had his call traced and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Darcy's breathe caught. "How could you let him go?"

"I didn't exactly let him," Dean replied hotly, "he wanted to go after Dad. I couldn't stop him."

Darcy could hear something in Dean's voice. "Why don't you just call him?"

"I can't," Dean answered, "I'm in the town and I have a job to do. I was just checking in. I'll try to call later." He hung up the phone.

Darcy threw the phone onto the bed.

**Later**

Darcy aimed slightly left of the target with her crossbow and fired. The arrow whizzed through the air and hit the target a few hundred yards away. It still landed to the right of the inner circle.

"Damn," Darcy muttered under her breathe. She had been whiling the time away by getting some practice and studying up on cryptomythology.

"Language, Darc," Caleb chided mildly, "You know your uncle wouldn't want to hear you talk like that. Those boys must be a bad influence on you." He gave her a kind smile and then turned to examine the target in the distance. "Looks like you've been practicing."

"Caleb?" the man said. He was average height and thin faced with a creepy smile.

Caleb didn't exactly looked pleased to see the man. "Hey Kubrik," he replied shaking the man's hand.

"And who is this?" Kubrik asked turning his gaze to Darcy.

"Sarah Young," Caleb introduced, lying fluidly. Darcy put the crossbow into her left hand so she could shake Kubrik's. "Why don't you put that away, go upstairs and read for a bit. Kubrik and I have some business to handle."

"Sure," Darcy complied. She heard a little more of the conversation before she closed the door. Caleb told Kubrik that Darcy was a cousin from out of state.

**Darcy's room**

Darcy was reading another book when her phone rang.

"How is the case going?" Darcy asked with a disinterested tone.

"Well I have a scarecrow in an orchard that is wearing the skin of one of the missing people," Dean said.

"Like Texas Chainsaw Massacre?" Darcy asked. She wasn't going to be sucked into this discussion so easily.

"Yeah," Dean said, "it was some kind of ugly. The townspeople are acting really weird. They said they never saw the last couple. Only one girl seemed to recognize them in the whole town."

"Sounds like you should go back to the girl," Darcy offered, "Have you talked to Sam?"

"No," Dean answered, "He hasn't called you, has he?"

Darcy thought that was a dumb question. She and Sam rarely talked in person. She wasn't a likely choice for a chat.

"I guess he wouldn't," Dean said after a moment.

"You know what," Darcy told him, "I'll look into some stuff with the scarecrow. Caleb has a lot of resources here." She did realize how hard it must be for Dean to be on the job alone. He was almost 27 and had worked alone before but a lot of the time he had his dad, Darcy or Sam working with him.

"Okay," Dean agreed, "I'll go talk to the girl again. I'll call back later."

**Burkitsville gas station**

Deanhung up the phone and pulled up in front of the pump. The girl, Emily, came out.

"You're back," she said.

"Never left," he replied.

Emily lived in town with her aunt and uncle. The town was small and hickish but seemed blessed. The scarecrow had been around forever according to her. Dean noticed another car in the garage that hadn't been there before. He found out from Emily that a couple was in town.

**Scotty's Café**

When Dean walked into the café, Scotty, a sour faced man he met earlier was schmoozing the couple. The man was offering the two some famous apple pie he was all smiles until he laid eyes on Dean.

Dean sat at a table near the couple and ordered coffee and pie which Scotty begrudgedly went to retrieve.

"How ya doin'?" he asked the coule, "Just passing through?"

Scotty came back with the couple's pies. "I'm sure these people want to eat in peace."

"Just a little friendly conversation," Dean replied innocently, "Oh, and that coffee, too, man. Thanks." Scotty gave him an agitated look. _That guy is so up to something. _Dean turnded back to the couple. "So, what brings you to town?"

"We just stopped for gas. And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives," the girl answered.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He was fixing it for us," the man added

"Nice people," Dean said, "So, how long till you're up and runnin'?"

"Sundown."

"Really. To fix a brake line?," Dean asked. Fixing a brake line was not that hard a repair. What was going on in this place? "I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything.

The couple didn't seem too pleased with the offer. "You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it," she said.

"Sure. I know," Dean shrugged, "You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."

This candid observation did not get a desirable reaction.

"I'm sorry?" the girl asked a little spooked.

Dean continued, "I know it sounds strange, but, uh—you might be in danger."

"Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?," the man said. He couldn't fully hide the freaked out edge to his voice.

"Yeah," Dean said. He leaned back giving up. The couple kept glancing at him. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, or my cousin could say just one little thing, and you'd just buy right into it."

A bell rang signaling that someone else came into the restaurant.

"Thanks for coming, Sheriff," Scotty called.

_Oh come on! Dean thought._

"I'd like a word, please," the Sheriff said as he approached Dean.

"Come on. I'm having a bad day already."

The couple watched as the sheriff led Dean out of the restaurant.

**Darcy's room**

Darcy answered the phone. "Please tell me you have more information because I haven't found anything yet."

"I just got kicked out of town," Dean admitted, "The sheriff gave me a personal escort. I tell you it's like the whole town is in this."

"What about the couple?" Darcy asked, "They are still in danger."

"I swung back around to the orchard," Dean said, "They aren't heading out til sundown. I have maybe half an hour to load up."

"Good luck," Darcy said.

Darcy hung up with Dean and called Sam.

"Hello, this is Sam. Leave a message."

"Sam, it's Darcy," she said into the phone, "Dean may be in over his head." She turned the page in the book. "Way over. I have to go."

**Bus Station/ Darcy's Room/ Dean's Car**

"The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" Sam asked in surprise. He was in a bus station waiting for a bus to California. When Darcy called the second time he answered the phone and was conferenced in with Dean. Dean told them about his encounter with the scarecrow.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya. Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun Town," Dean answered. He was in his car.

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Darcy asked.

"No," Dean answered, "I can cope without you both, you know."

"So, something must be animating it," Sam said, "A spirit."

"No, it's more than a spirit," Dean said.

"It's a god," Darcy said, "A Pagan god, anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Sam asked.

"The annual cycle of its killings? And the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman," Darcy said, "which I think is why Uncle John wouldn't let me go on the hunt."

It's like some kind of fertility right," Dean added, "And you should see the locals. The way they treated this couple. Fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey."

"The last meal. Given to sacrificial victims," Sam said.

"Yeah, I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god," Darcy said.

Sam agreed, "So, a god possesses the scarecrow..."

"And the scarecrow takes its sacrifice. And for another year, the crops won't wilt, and disease won't spread," Dean finished.

"You got a look at the thing, Dean" Darcy said, "Do you know which god you're dealing with?"

"No, not yet," Dean admitted.

"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it," Sam said.

"I know. I'm actually on my way to a local community college," Dean told them, "I've got an appointment with a professor. I hope I can keep up. I'm not as good with lectures as you are, college boy.

Darcy rolled her eyes.

Sam laughed, "You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask."

"I'm not hinting anything. Actually, uh—I want you to know….I mean, don't think….," Dean stammered.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, too," Sam apologized.

Dean replied, "Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life."

Darcy wasn't sure she heard right. "Are you serious?" Darcy and Sam zsaid at the same time.

"You've always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I—anyway….I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy," Dean said.

"I don't even know what to say," Sam replied.

Darcy had a few choice words but she kept her mouth shut. They all said good bye to each other and wished each other luck. Darcy hung up her phone and decided to go to bed. She would talk to Caleb about what she knew in the morning.

**Community College**

Dean found his way to religious studies teacher that could help him. The professor was surprised by Dean's interest in local lore and Pagan ideology. Indiana wasn't really a hot spot for such things.

"Well, what if it was imported?" Dean asked, "You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?"

Dean learned that the ancestors of the Burkitsville residence were Scandinavian and asked about their Pagan gods especially ones that live in orchards.

"Woods god, hm?" the professor speculated as he looked through a large book, "Well, let's see.

The professor began leafing though the book he had until Dean stopped him on a page that depicted a similar scarecrow.

"Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?"

"Oh, that's not a woods god, per se."

Dean read, "The V-Vanir? The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female."

He pointed to the picture. "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?" he asked.

He continued reading and learned that the Vanir get energy from sacred objects like trees. If he could torch the tree, maybe that would kill the Vanir. He speculated out loud to himself. The professor laughed and told him that the Vanir weren't real. It was only legend. Dean shrugged and thanked him for his help. He started to leave but was blindsided with a rifle butt by the Sherriff.

**Caleb's House**

Darcy was worried when she hadn't heard back from Dean in hours. She even had called him but the phone went to voicemail. She called Sam after two hour and he was just as worried.

Caleb told her that Dean could handle himself and reminded her that she couldn't do anything anyway. He wouldn't let her go off and defy John's orders. Darcy didn't think she could help. She called Sam.

**The Next Day**

Thenext afternoon Sam and Dean drove up to the house. Darcy was waiting on the steps. She ran down and hugged Dean the moment he got out of the car.

"You are never leaving me behind again," Darcy said upon releasing him. She gave Sam a smile.

Caleb walked out and greeted the men. "I got hot food ready in the kitchen," he said.

They all went inside and as they ate Dean and Sam regaled them with the story of the Vanir and how they killed it.

"This Emily girl," Caleb asked, "Think she's gonna be alright?"

"I hope so." Dean answered.

"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Darcy asked.

"Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough," Sam replied.

**Later**

"So, can we drop you off somewhere?," Dean asked Sam as the three hunters drove offCaleb's property.

"No, I think you're stuck with me," Sam answered.

Darcy looked up from her book. "What made you change your mind?"

"I didn't. I still wanna find Dad. And you're still a pain in the ass," Sam answered. Dean laughed and Darcy snickered. "But, Jess and Mom—they're both gone. Dad is God knows where. Three of us. We're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together."

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," Dean joked.

Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam knocked it off. "You should be kissing my ass, you were dead meat, dude."

"Yeah, right. I had a plan, I'd have gotten out," Dean said.

Sam looked in the rearview where Darcy was rolling her eyes.

"Right," Sam said with a chuckle.


	13. Faith

**Abandoned House**

Dean pulled up to the driveway of the abandoned house that they were sure held the creature they were hunting. They got out and proceeded to get the tasers prepared for the job.

"What do you got those amped up to?" Sam asked Darcy as she handed him a taser.

"A hundred thousand volts," Darcy answered as she prepped the second taser.

"Damn," Sam replied.

Darcy agreed with his expression. The high voltage seemed like overkill. "It was Dean's idea."

"Yeah, I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy," Dean said as he came around for his taser."

Darcy rolled her eyes at her cousin. She handed him the gun. "And remember, you only get one shot with these things. So make it count."

Darcy was covering the outside in case the thing got out. However the plan of frying the creature in front of the neighbors was a last resort thing even if it was dark.

Less than an hour later Sam came running out with the two little kids that had gone missing. Darcy recognized them from the clippings and research.

"Where is Dean?" she asked Sam.

"He's in there," Sam answered, "take care of the kids. Give me that."

Darcy handed Dean her taser and he ran back to the action. It wasn't long before Darcy heard a faint scream inside the house.

"Dean!"

**Hospital**

Darcy was sitting outside the room that Dean was laying in. He was in there with the doctor. Sam was talking to the police and handling paperwork.

The doctor walked out of the room. Darcy stood up, waiting for information. She didn't like the look on his face. "Where is your brother?" the doctor asked. It was always easier to just say brothers and sister than cousins. Darcy pointed towards Sam and turned to peak in at Dean. He was watching television on a small crappy 12 inch. He looked tired more than anything else from Darcy's view.

Darcy followed the doctor to where Sam was and listened to the diagnosis. Dean had a heart attack. It was bad. The doctor told them both that Dean had a month at most to live.

"No, no. There's—there's gotta be something you can do, some kind of treatment," Sam said.

"We can't work miracles," the doctor replied sorrowfully, "I really am sorry."

Maybe the doctor couldn't perform miracles but something out there could. _Dean isn't going to die here _she thought_ not like this_.

**Hospital Room**

Sam and Darcy walked into the room. Now, with a closer look, Darcy could see just how bad a shape her cousin was in. He was very pale, with dark circles under his eyes.

"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV?" Dean asked weakly when he saw his family enter, "It's terrible."

"We talked to your doctor," Sam told him.

Dean seemed very distracted. "That fabric softener teddy bear," he said, not taking his eyes off the tv, "Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down."

"Dean," Darcy said, trying not to get too emotional. He wasn't going to beat this by avoiding it.

"Yeah," Dean replied. He turned off the TV and looked at Darcy a moment before turning to Sam, "Alright, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me.

"What are you talking about?" Darcy asked, "We're not gonna leave you here."

Dean ignored her. He kept talking to Sam. "Hey, you better take care of that car. Or, I swear, I'll haunt your ass."

"I don't think that's funny," Sam replied.

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny," Dean said.

They all looked at each other a second. Darcy put her hand on Dean's arm.

Dean sighed, "Look, what can I say, man, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story.

Darcy's hand flinched on Dean's arm. The tears were rolling down her face. She looked from Dean to Sam with pleading eyes.

"Don't talk like that, alright?" Sam said, "We still have options."

"What options?" Darcy asked hopefully. She wanted to hear what Sam might have cooking in his head.

"Got burial or cremation," Dean cracked again. He looked at Darcy and reached his hand up to hers. He looked from her to his brother and very seriously told them, "And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it.

"Watch me," Sam said.

**Later**

Darcy stayed with Dean while Sam went through his contacts. She had a bed at the motel but opted not to leave Dean's side despite his protests.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him, "throw me out?"

They watched crappy TV and ate bland food. Dean asked the nurse for a copy of Busty Asian Beauties but was denied because the doctor said it would aggravate his already delicate heart.

Darcy tried calling Uncle John once and left him a message.

After three days Dean was getting antsy.

"I am leaving this hospital," he told his cousin, "with or without your help. I am not dying here. Their TV service is crap."

Darcy got the doctor to sign him out and helped him into a cab.

**Motel**

The motel where Sam was staying wasn't far from the hospital. Darcy half carried him to the door and knocked. Sam was very surprised to see Dean out of the hospital.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I checked myself out," Dean answered. Darcy helped him into the room.

"What," Sam asked. He turned to Darcy, "Are you crazy?"

Darcy was about to say something to the effect of 'You try stopping your brother when he gets going" but Dean interrupted.

"Don't blame her," Dean defended, "I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot."

"You know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap. I can see right through it," Sam told him.

Darcy helped Dean into a chair and walked to the table. Sam had his research spread out.

"Yeah, whatever, dude," Dean shrugged off, "Have you even slept? You look worse than me."

Sam explained that he had called a contact that gave him a good lead on a way to save Dean. There was a specialist in Nebraska.

"You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" Dean asked.

Sam's reply was genuine, "I'm not gonna let you die, period. We're going."

**Nebraska, Roy's Church**  
Darcy noted a few things about the setting of the Nebraskan back yard. First was the large white tent set up in the back yard. There was a parking lot filled with cars and a large sign reading "The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer. Witness The Miracle." A lot of people were coming to witness and they all looked as sick as Dean if not worse. Though how anyone could look worse than Dean was surprising.

"I got ya," Darcy said as she helped Dean out of the car.

"I got it," he told her. She reluctantly let him go but stayed close. He addressed Sam next but didn't turn to him. Darcy didn't think he could make any real fast movements without collapsing. "Man, you are a lying bastard."

"Thought you said we were going to see a doctor," Darcy said speculatively.

"I believe I said a specialist," Sam answered, "Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal."

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent," Dean exclaimed.

"Reverend LeGrange is a great man," said a woman behind them.

"Yeah, that's nice," Dean replied under his breath.

Darcy hung back a moment. There was a man talking to a sheriff and the discussion looked heated.

"I have a right to protest," the man was saying, "This man is a fraud. And he's bilking all these people out of their hard-earned money."

"Sir, this is a place of worship," the sheriff told him. "Let's go. Move it."

"I take it he's not part of the flock" Darcy said to herself.

Dean and Sam were a few yards ahead and talking to a blonde lady. An older woman came up to them and ushered the blonde inside. The boys followed.

When Darcy got into the tent she saw her cousins near the front. There wasn't another seat available up with them but in this crowd she felt better in the back anyways. An older man with sunglasses came out and addressed the crowd which immediately settled.

Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news," he told them in that loud sermon voice that many public speakers develop, "Never seems good, does it? Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, God is watching. God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt. Who does the healing here, friends? The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

The speech was good and the crowd was openly responsive to each statement. The inside of the tent was a little warm despite the A/C pumping cold air through a tube near the stage. It was set on low to not overwhelm the patrons nearest to the blast. This forced everyone else who wanted a cooldown to use fans or their pamphlets. On one side of the stage Darcy could almost see the makings of an altar over the heads of people in front of her.

"You think so, young man?" Roy called out. Darcy hadn't heard what he was responding to.

"Sorry," Dean apologized.

Roy smiled, "No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears. What's your name, son?"

"Dean."

"Dean. I want—I want you to come up here with me," Roy said. An older woman who Roy had earlier identified as Sue Ann joined him onstage in welcoming Dean. The crowd also began to encourage him on.

"No, that's ok," Dean said loudly.

"You've come here to be healed, haven't you?" Roy asked.

"Well, yeah, but—"

Darcy clapped and yelled, "go on up there." The congregation encouraged some more.

"No, maybe you should just pick someone else," Dean tried to resist. The crowd kept cheering.

"Oh, no, I didn't pick you, Dean, the Lord did."

The congregation cheered more but Darcy was struck that Roy knew her cousin's name. Maybe Sam said it and the sharp eared blind man heard. Darcy watched as Dean reluctant and nervous made his way up to the stage.

Roy asked Dean something and he responded with a shaking head. Roy said something back to him then got louder, "Pray with me, friends."

Darcy joined hands with the stranger next to her but wasn't too sure what to do. Her family had never been church people. She closed her eyes and wished that this would work. She visualized it happening. Every now and then an image would pull into her mind of a swimmer. She ignored the images and focused on Dean only.

"Alright, now. Alright, now."

_Is it working?_ Darcy opened her eyes and watched as Dean collapsed with Roy's support.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. A small group of people rushed the stage making it difficult for Darcy to get to the boys. She wanted to make sure Dean was okay.

**Hospital in Nebraska**

"So you really feel okay?" Darcy asked Dean.

Dean looked her in the eye and said, "I feel fine, Darcy."

A nurse walked in carrying a file. Sam followed her, eager to hear what she had to say.

Well, according to all your tests," the nurse began as she read the file, "there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was."

Darcy hugged Dean who looked very curious about the diagnosis. Sam was smiling. The nurse continued, "Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen."

"What do you mean, strange?" Dean asked after Darcy had released him.

"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic," the nurse reported, "Out of nowhere, heart attack."

"Thanks, Doc," Darcy said warmly.

"Oh, no problem," she replied before exiting.

Darcy looked at Dean who was considering something. "That's odd," he said.

"Maybe it's a coincidence," Sam offered, "People's hearts give out all the time, man."

"No, they don't," Darcy said.

"Look, you two," Sam whispered before closing the door to the little room, "do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"

"Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why," Dean answered.

Darcy looked at dean. She scrutinized his expression, "What feeling?"

"When I was healed, I just—I felt wrong," Dean explained, "I felt cold. And for a second, I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, it was a spirit."

Darcy hadn't seen anything from where she was but she contemplated Dean's account.

"But if there was something there, Dean," Sam retorted, "I think I would've seen it, too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

Darcy looked up at Sam. He rarely mentioned his psychic tendencies but he wanted to win this argument.

"Well, excuse me, psychic wonder," Dean retorted, "But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."

"Yeah, alright," Sam sighed.

Darcy looked at her cousin, "So, what do you wanna do, Dean?"

Dean delegated Sam and Darcy to go look into the heart attack victim while he went to see the healer again.

**Motel Room**

When Dean entered the room Darcy was gone and Sam was looking upset at his computer.

"Where's Darc?" he asked.

"Getting some lunch across the street," Sam answered.

Dean nodded, "What'd you find out?"

"I'm sorry," Sam blurted out.

The apology threw Dean off guard. "Sorry about what?"

Sam explained what he learned about Marshall Hall, the heart attack victim. He died at 4:17, at the same time Dean was healed. Upon further investigation Sam learned that Roy healed six people in the past year and that six people had died at the same time of the symptom Roy healed.

**Convenience Store**

Darcy was waiting in the check out line when she got that eerie feeling she hated. In her minds eye an old man was sitting in front of a large audience. He had to work really hard to breathe and was very weak. He was dying. Someone placed a hand on his forehead. Suddenly she was watching a woman who was jogging. She couldn't breathe either but that was exertion. She looked up and saw someone that wasn't there. Then the scene kept switching back and forth between the church service and the park where the woman now ran for her life. The woman fell and her face became pale as she fought desperately for breath.

Darcy gasped as the vision ceased. She knew that the woman was dead and the old man was not. She often saw supernatural death and while she never really got used to it, the frequency of these experiences helped her gain control faster. She never mentioned these attacks to Dean, Sam her Uncle John and often feigned distraction or exhaustion to cover it up. She was glad she did when Sam started broadcasting his visions. She would hate it if Dean looked at her the way she caught him looking at Sam.

She quickly paid for the food and bolted back across the street.

**Motel**

"Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?" Dean was saying when Darcy entered.

"Somehow. LeGrange—he's trading a life for another," Sam explained.

So they already knew. That was convenient.

"Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?" Dean surmised.

Sam sighed, "Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway. And someone else would've been healed."

Darcy set the stuff down on the counter and went over to Sam's research on the table.

Dean and Sam yelled at one another while Darcy read what Sam had found. She was so not getting in this fight. She couldn't side with Sam or Dean on this though she often chose the later's side. She hated that a man died to save Dean but she had wanted Dean healed just as much as Sam.

"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it?" Darcy interjected, "How's he trading a life for a life?"

"Oh, he's not doing it," Dean told her, "Something else is doing it for him."

"What do you mean?" Sam and Darcy both asked.

"The old man I saw on stage. I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew it."

"You knew what, Dean?" Darcy asked.

"What are you talking about?" Sam leaned closer with curiosity.

Dean sat on one of the beds. "There's only one thing that can give and take life like that. We're dealing with a reaper."

And so the research began.

"You really think it's _the_ Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?" Sam asked.

"No, no, no. Not _the_ Reaper, _a_ reaper," Darcy explained, "There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on Earth."

"They go by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one of 'em," Dean continued. He and Darc had talked about it once or twice when she first started hunting. She had been curious about them.

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit," Sam said.

"Well, what, do you think he should've been workin' the whole black robe thing? You said it yourself that the clock stopped, right?," Dean replied as he scanned over an open book on the table, "Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're comin' at you, which is why I could see it and you both couldn't."

"Maybe," Darcy concurred "The question is how's Roy controllin' the damn thing?"

"Language," Dean said automatically.

"That cross," Sam answered.

Dean and Darcy turned to Sam, "What?"

Sam told them about a cross he saw on the altar. It looked like one painted on Darcy's tarot cards. He had already picked them up and found the one that depicted the cross. It was a death card with a reaper on it. He showed it to Dean and continued his explanation. Roy was using black magic to bind a reaper. It was dangerous to toy with a reaper.

"Ok, then we stop Roy," Dean concluded.

"How?" Darcy asked.

Dean didn't look at her. "You know how."

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean?" Sam asked, "We can't kill Roy.

"Sam, the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies, that's a monster in my book, Dean again put a period on his statement,

Sam and Darcy weren't fully on board. "No, we're not gonna kill a human being, Dean," Sam said, "We do that, we're no better than he is."

"Okay, so we can't kill Roy, we can't kill death," Dean surmised, "Any bright ideas, college boy?"

"Okay, uh, if Roy is using some kind of black spell on the reaper," Darcy answered, "we've gotta figure out what it is."

"And how to break it," Sam finished.

**Roy's Church**  
Darcy was waiting in the car, something that she always loathed but since she refused to be left at the motel alone, this was her only option. She was looking over the reaper research again and waiting for a call. Roy was going to heal someone else soon and another person was going to die. What was her big contribution? Lay low and stay invisible.

"Layla. Layla Rourke, come up here, child," Roy's voice echoed in Darcy's head. _Oh no. Not again._

Darcy recognized Dean's friend from the church. She was chosen to be healed. Layla was walking up to the stage. Dean blocked her path.

"Layla, listen to me," he whispered, "you can't go up there."

Dean tried to convince her not to go up there and let Roy heal her. Something bad would happen.

"Help!" A man in a parking lot was running for his life. He was probably on the other side of where she was but what could she do?

Things began switching again. Sam joined the parking lot man. He couldn't see the reaper but the man could. They both started running. The scene in the church ceased abruptly but the parking lot was still in full focus. Sam was telling Dean that it wasn't over and he was right. The reaper still came for the man.

"I'm tellin' you! I'm tellin' you, it must not have worked," Sam said as the man was dying in front of him, "Roy must not be controlling this thing!"

_Then who the hell is? _Darcy thought. The vision ended and Darcy assumed that the man was dead. She began to get out of the car. There were people everywhere. They had evacuated the tent.

"I just don't understand. After everything we've done for you," Darcy heard a voice say rather loudly, "after Roy healed you. We're very, very disappointed, Dean."

Darcy moved closer and listened. "You can let him go, I'm not gonna press charges," Sue Ann was saying to the cops holding Dean, "The Lord will deal with him as he sees fit."

Sue Ann walked away and the cops let Dean go.

"We catch you around here again, son," the cop said, "we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?"

"Yes, sir. Fear of God. Got it," Dean retorted. He turned around and was face to face with Layla

"Why would you do that, Dean?" she asked him.

Darcy walked away. She didn't want to eavesdrop on that conversation. Her interest drifted to where Layla's mother was talking to Roy and Sue Ann. They were planning a private session for that night.

**Motel**  
Darcy, Dean and Sam were going over what they now knew.

"Yeah," Dean said, "I thought I told you to stay in the car."

Darcy shot him a look before rolling her eyes. "We're now on a time crunch and I was being proactive."

"So Roy really believes?" Sam said returning the discussion back to Roy.

"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing," Dean said turning away from Darcy.

"Well, I found this hidden in their library," Sam said. He tossed the little book past Darcy, to Dean. "It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper."

Darcy looked over Dean's shoulder as he flipped through the book. "Must be a hell of a spell," she speculated.

Sam went through the process that Sue Ann had to do to gain control of a reaper. "To cross the line like that, that preacher's wife. Black magic, murder. Evil."

"Desperate," Darcy said, "Her husband was dying, she'd have done anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy." Darcy understood that part of it. She would have done almost anything to save Dean when he was dying. She obviously didn't condone the actions this lady but when someone you love is dying reason goes out of the window.

"Yeah, but Roy's alive," Dean continued, "so why's she still using the spell?"

"To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral," Sam guessed correctly.

"May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work," Dean said.

"Amen," Darcy agreed.

The next issue became if they had to destroy the altar or the Coptic cross that Sue Ann wore. Either could be the catalyst for the spell. They settled on destroying both and soon. They were on a deadline.

"They're planning a session for Layla tonight," Darcy said, "I overheard them talking and got myself on the guest list. They didn't know we were cousins."

**Roy's Church**

The three hunters drove into the parking lot trying not draw attention to themselves. Layla's service was already in progress. Darcy slipped in apologetically and joined the crowd. A quick peek around told her that Sue Ann wasn't there. She discreetly texted the boys.

"Gather round. Please, everyone, gather round. Come in closer. Come on up," Roy was instructing. Layla obeyed.

By now the boys would be finding the preacher's wife and her black altar. As Roy began to prepare himself Darcy was praying they would hurry. She heard a dog bark in the distance.

"Mrs. Rourke, pray with me," Roy said, "Pray with me, friends."

_Hurry guys _Darcy thought _please let them succeed. _The flash that came next was very upsetting. She saw Dean's face and almost cried out. Another congregation member had taken her hand and thought she was feeling the spirit as she almost doubled over in despair. She wanted to scream out to him because he wasn't running away. She would have run out of the tent but her actual vision was clouded. She couldn't see anything but Dean and Layla as the Reaper magic continued. Dean flinched in pain but made no move to escape. He sank to his knees and so did Layla. Dean's eyes were going dead and he couldn't breath. Then it was over abruptly.

Darcy sank to her own knees uncertain of what happened. Dean wasn't dead yet. She crawled to her feet again and bolted for the nearest exit.

"I don't understand," Roy said just before Darcy made it to the outside. She searched half frantic for Dean. She heard a female screaming behind her but ignored it. She saw Dean leaning over in the mud.

"Dean!" she shouted before another vision rocked her mind. It was Sue Ann with Sam behind her out of focus. Sue Ann looked terrified. She tried to run away but collapsed quickly. She was dead.

Darcy felt arms around her. It was Dean. She had only made it so far but he came to her and was hugging her. She began to cry into his shoulder and squeezed her arms around him too.

"You okay?" Sam asked as Dean and Darcy approached the car.

"Hell of a week," Dean replied. Darcy got into the back seat wiping her eyes.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "Alright, come on, we should get going."

**Motel**

Darcy was packing up the last of her gear and watching Dean from the corner of her eye. Layla had just come and left, having been invited by Sam. She wanted to talk to Dean. She knew why he hadn't run away from the Reaper but she couldn't tell him any of that. She had to be careful. Before Sam told them what had happened Darcy let it slip that she knew Sue Ann was dead. She played it off for the time saying that she was sure you couldn't mess with a Reaper and not pay a price but it had been close. The last visions had been scarily intense like it was when her mother and brother died. She was sure that it was the family connection but it didn't make it any less troublesome.

She was going to have to figure this stuff out soon and worse yet she was going to have to do it alone.


	14. Route 666

It was just another generic gas station in Middle America on another sunny day. Sam was navigating the route with his map and compass, Dean was gassing the car up while listening to voicemail messages and Darcy was charged with buying lunch and paying for everything. It was boring and she hoped that whatever they were driving to would be interesting.

She walked out into the bright but bland scene of the two brothers and placed the food into the back seat. She slid in after and began sorting so that she could hand everything off to the correct brother.

"Okay, I think I found a way we can bypass that construction, just east of here," Sam said optimistically, "We might even make Pennsylvania faster than we thought."

"Yeah," Dean said. He was distracted and contemplative. Darcy picked up on the tone and watched her cousin as he walked around to the driver's side, "Problem is, we're not going to Pennsylvania."

"We what?" Sam had been working with his map for a good half hour rerouting after they heard about the construction in their way.

Darcy ignored him. "What's up?"

"Just got a call from, uh, an old friend. Her father was killed last night, she thinks it might be our kind of thing," Dean explained nonchalantly.

"What?" Darcy and Sam whispered at the same time.

"Yeah. Believe me, she never would've called, _never_, if she didn't need us." Dean slid into the car like he had just said that the sun was bright.

Darcy felt that the tone he was taking was familiar but she couldn't place it.

"Come on, you comin' or what?" Dean asked Sam.

Sam climbed into the car but was still focused on Dean who was clearly done talking for the moment.

Darcy's next question told her and Sam that they were now heading toward Missouri, to a town called Cape Girardeau, to help out an old friend.

"By old friend, you mean….?" Sam asked in elaboration.

Dean's answer was short and sarcastic, "A friend that's not new."

Darcy and Sam chuckled at this randomly quipping attitude. Darcy realized she hadn't dispersed the sandwiches and handed Sam his with a drink.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam said to Darcy as she also gave him some chips, too.

Something clicked in her head and she blurted out, "Oh my God. It's Cassie, isn't it?"

Dean's hands tightened on the wheel but he didn't say that she had guessed right.

"So, her name's Cassie, huh?" Sam prodded and at Dean's confirmation continued, "You never mentioned her."

"Didn't I?" Dean said hesitantly.

"No." Sam looked back at Darcy for more information but she became uncharacteristically absorbed in a pamphlet about a waterpark she found on the floor of the car.

Dean was trying to be casual. "Yeah, we went out."

"You mean you dated someone? For more than one night?" Sam was surprised. This was not normal for his brother.

Darcy nodded from the back seat and Sam laughed.

"Yeah, Dad and I were workin' a job in Athens, Ohio, she was finishing up college, and we went out for a couple weeks," Dean explained.

Sam looked at Darcy and could tell by her face there was more to the story. She remembered the job in Athens, Ohio. Dean was certainly smitten by Cassie who she met a few times. Cassie was a nice girl and even offered to take Darcy shopping but that never happened.

"And?" he prodded again, hoping that his brother would share. Dean shook his head and gave a small shrug.

"Look, it's terrible about her dad," Darcy finally said. She had the suspicious feeling that Dean was going there only because it was Cassie that called. He wasn't thinking practically. "But it kind of sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do."

"Which, by the way, how does she know what we do?" Dean was silent. He glanced at Sam for a second before his eyes darted back to the road.

"You told her," Sam stated in a raised voice. He was exasperated at this new deduction. "You told her? The secret? Our big family rule number one, we do what we do, and we shut up about it. For a year and a half I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a couple of times and you tell her everything?"

Dean still said nothing. He couldn't defend what he had done. Sam was yelling now and even managed to sound a lot like Uncle John by the end of his speech. "Dean!"

Dean didn't look at his brother. "Yeah. Looks like it," he answered.

Sam huffed and shook his head. Everyone was silent for the rest of the trip.

**Cape Girardeau**

The three hunters walked into the newsroom. Dean immediately spotted Cassie talking to two older gentlemen and put up an arm signaling the others to stop. Cassie's back was to them so she didn't know they were there yet. When she finished talking to the men she turned.

"Dean." She sounded surprised to see him though she had been the one who called. She walked toward him.

"Hey, Cassie," he said. Darcy and Sam watched the awkward silence build between the two. There was some history there and Darcy only knew a small bit of it.

"This is my brother, Sam," Dean introduced when the silence was too much for him, "And you remember Darcy." Cassie gave Sam a smile and nod. Darcy stepped forward to hug Cassie. It wasn't an awkward exchange as the girls had been friendly.

"Hey Cassie," Darcy said warmly, "I'm sorry about your dad."

Darcy broke the hug. "Yeah. Me, too." Cassie replied. She looked at Dean and they continued to stare at each other.

**Cassie's Mother's House**

Cassie invited the three back to her house to explain what was going on. She gave them tea and started talking about the strange black truck sightings and the two mysterious deaths on Route 6, her father and his partner. They were both prominent black men in the area. She was still skeptical about the ghost stuff as she put it. This earned an exasperated retort from Dean.

"If I remember," Dean said, "I think you said I was nuts."

"That was then," Cassie answered.

Dean nodded.

Cassie's mother came in and Cassie made introductions. She was sullen and somewhat frazzled woman. Also, to Darcy's surprise, she was white. Darcy realized that she hadn't expected that but shouldn't really have assumed one way or the other. People were people.

Dean wanted to learn more about the truck from the older woman but she wasn't in any shape to answer questions.

Darcy wondered over to the pictures on the wall. She saw one of a group of men standing together in front of a church. From the surrounding photos she figured out which one was Cassie's father. She touched the picture. Instantly, she regretted the move. She saw them. She saw all three deaths, one after the other. The second accident ended with the car driving into some construction and flipping over. The last car ran off the road and hit a tree at top speed. All of the cars had been pursued and assaulted by a large black truck that snarled and disappeared like a ghost. The visions were shocking and sad. Darcy was sure she knew what the first two were but didn't understand the third. Cassie told them only two people had died.

**Motel Room**

The next day Darcy got her answer. Cassie called Dean and told him about the most recent death that had occurred the night before. Cassie's boss, Jimmy was killed the previous night on the same stretch of road in a similar manner to the previous deaths. Sam and Dean went to investigate the site with Cassie and Darcy excused herself to go do some research.

In the afternoon, Sam came back to the room alone. Darcy had been pouring over archives and felt she knew everything about the history of the area and absolutely nothing of use. She had started her search in the late 1950's after a tip from the boys but only managed to get up to a fire that burned down an old church. She told Sam as much.

"Have you eaten yet?" Sam asked.

Darcy shook her head. She had grabbed a bag of chips and nibbled on them while she read but hadn't really stopped to go out.

"Why don't you take a break?" Sam suggested. Darcy eyed him suspiciously but complied.

**Diner**

While they waited for their food Sam caught Darcy up on the running theory and where Dean was. Darcy wasn't surprised.

When the food came Sam was quiet for a moment. He was trying to figure out the best angle to work this next discussion from.

"I learned something interesting this afternoon about Dean and Cassie." He finally stated.

Darcy was sure she knew what that was from the interest and hint of gloat in Sam's voice. "Really? What was that?" she asked trying to sound indifferent.

"How well do you know Cassie? Do you know about what happened with her and Dean?"

Darcy shrugged. "We talked maybe twice but not in depth. Hell, I rarely meet Dean's conquests but Cassie I guess was different. They were together until we had to leave. I could tell by Dean's chipper mood that the break-up wasn't so great and we never talked about it."

Actually they had talked about it but Darcy had been sworn to secrecy on the whole thing. She and Dean were good like that. They could be honest with each other but agreed that no one needed to know about their weak emotional moments. When something happened to one of them, they hashed it out and then let it go.

"Did you know that she broke up with him?"

_Yes._ "No but I suspected."

They didn't talk much more and after dinner retired to the motel and went to bed.

**Motel/ In town**

The next morning Darcy had Sam with her to help pour through the records but she could tell it was a waste of time. Dean hadn't come back the night before. After a few hours Sam suggested they go out and continue questioning the locals. It didn't take long to learn that there had been another accident. This time it was the Mayor. Darcy had her phone out in an instant and she hit Dean's speed dial number.

"Yeah" answered Dean.

"The road claimed another victim. The mayor is dead."

Dean sounded exasperated. "You're kidding."

"Oh I wish I was. He was run over by nothing."

**Newsroom**

Darcy and Cassie were looking again through the news articles. Cassie could navigate the tangled web of the archives better because she was familiar with them.

"So, I'm trying to find some link between those killings back in the sixties and what's going on now," Darcy explained, "but there wasn't a lot about it in the paper."

"Not surprising. Probably minimum police work, too. Back then, equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here," Cassie answered.

Darcy's phone rang. "Yeah?"

It was Sam. He and Dean were suppose to be doing the leg work to help narrow down the search. "Okay, the courthouse records show that Mr. and Mrs. Mayor bought an abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family, for, like, 150 years," Sam read to the phone.

"Dorian?" Dean asked from next to his brother.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

Dean said something to Darcy and she turned to Cassie. "Did the Dorian family used to own this paper?"

After Cassie confirmed that was true Dean took the phone and had Darcy run a search. She finally found an article that was interesting.

"Cyrus Dorian—he vanished in April of '63. The case was investigated but never solved. That's right around the time the string of murders was going on back then," Darcy said into the phone. Further investigation and conversation between the hunters and Cassie showed that the Mayor bought the Dorian property and bulldozed the house on it. The first killing happened the next day.

**Cassie's House**

That night Cassie called Dean in a panic. The truck showed up and terrorized her and her mother. Dean, Sam and Darcy were there in minutes. They started asking questions knowing that the two women were now marked by the ghost truck. Cassie's mother told them that her husband mentioned Cyrus Dorian was the driver of the truck.

"Is this Cyrus?" Darcy asked. She pulled out a copy of the article.

"Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago," Mrs. Robinson stated as she read the headline.

"How do you know he died, Mrs. Robinson?" Dean asked, "The paper said he went missing. How do you know he died?"

Mrs Robinson was very guilty as she relived the painful memories of the past. "We were all very young. I dated Cyrus a while, but I was also seeing Martin. In secret, of course. Interracial couples didn't go over too well then. When I broke it off with Cyrus, and when he found out about Martin….I don't know, he—he changed. His hatred—his hatred was frightening."

"The string of murders," Sam whispered to Darcy. Darcy nodded.

Mrs. Robinson continued, "There were rumors. People of color disappearing in some kind of a truck. But nothing was ever done. Martin and I, we were, uh, going to be married in that little church near here. But last minute, we decided to elope, cause we didn't want the attention." She stopped clearly getting more and more upset.

"And Cyrus?" Dean urged her.

"The fire," Darcy whispered back to Sam.

"The day we set for the wedding was….the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practicing in there. They all died."

"Did the attacks stop after that?" Sam asked gently.

"No. There was one more. One night, that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible," she said in sobs, "But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus, and he just kept hitting him and hitting him."

Dean asked, when she was finished, "Why didn't he call the cops?"

Mrs. Robinson looked at him as though the answer was obvious. "This was forty years ago! He called on his friends, Clayton Solmes and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and rolled it into the swamp at the edge of this land, and all three of them kept that secret all these years!"

"And now all three are gone," Darcy surmised.

"So is Mayor Todd. Now, he said that you, of all people, would know that he is not a racist. Why would he say that?" Dean asked.

"He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then, investigating Cyrus' disappearance. Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done, he….he did nothing. Because he also knew what Cyrus had done," Mrs. Robinson answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cassie asked in tears.

"I thought I was protecting them," Mrs. Robinson answered, "And now there's no one left to protect."

"Yes, there is," Dean said and Darcy noticed him look at Cassie.

**Outside the house**

"My life was so simple. Just school. Exams. Papers on polycentric cultural norms," Sam remembered reverently.

Dean chuckled, "So, I guess I saved you from a boring existence."

"Yeah, occasionally, I miss boring," Sam answered.

"Alright, so, this killer truck—" Dean opened.

Darcy laughed, "I miss conversations that didn't start with "this killer truck"." All three laughed at that.

"Alright, well, this Cyrus guy…" Dean tried again.

"Yeah."

"Evil on a level that infected even his truck. And when he died, the swamp became his tomb. And the spirit was dormant for forty years," Dean theorized.

The three continued hashing out theories. The ghost was awaked by the mayor demolishing his house. It had happened before in Illinois. The angry ghost and his truck were out for blood.

"You know we're gonna have to dredge that body up from the swamp, right?" Sam said.

Darcy grimaced, "Oh, man."

"You said it," Dean agreed.

"Yeah," Sam said.

Cassie came out and talked to Dean. They had a little back and forth and a kiss that made Darcy roll her eyes. He told her that she should stay in the house and told Darcy to stay with her. Darcy didn't mind missing the action this time.

**In the Car**

Late that night she realized that "missing the action" was what she really had done. The spirit had been mad that the boys tried to destroy it and Dean had to race it into the burned down church where it perished on holy ground. It was a stupid and risky move but it was effective. The ghost was gone and it was time for the hunters to move on.

Now it was afternoon and after cleaning out their motel the three were on the road. Darcy and Sam had said their goodbyes to Cassie and waited by the car for Dean. They watched the two kiss and hug before Dean walked back to the car. Now none of them were saying much.

"I like her," Sam said. He was driving while Dean rested and Darcy read a cryptozoology book in the back seat. "You meet someone like her, ever make you wonder if it's worth it? Putting everything else on hold, doing what we do?"

"Wake me up when it's my turn to drive," he said putting on his sun glasses and settling in for a nap.


End file.
